


Snowblind - the aftermath

by Polkadot_Paragua



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Drama, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-25
Updated: 2014-12-02
Packaged: 2018-02-22 14:15:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 50,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2510678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polkadot_Paragua/pseuds/Polkadot_Paragua
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a possible second part to Animoms "Snowblind", in which Jounouchi and Kaiba get into an airplane crash.<br/>http://archiveofourown.org/works/98804<br/>The work is great and I heavily recommend reading it anyways, but even heavierly before reading this "sequel".</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. About blood circulation

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for sense no make English :D I'm not a native speaker but I sure try hard.

They had been lying on top of each other for hours and hours. Jounouchi had dozed off at some point and woken shortly after, only to find nothing had changed at all. He was still there, lying on Seto Kaiba, bare chest to bare chest, slightly sticky, freezing but for the front side of his torso that was snuggled up to Kaibas at least somewhat warm body.  
It was already dawning again but neither of them had made an effort to drink or eat or go out to pee.  
He had rolled on his side at some point, but found it rather uncomfortable, seeing how he had cut open their shirts, focing them to stay chest to chest now, and had resumed his former position on Kaibas stomache, a bit lower than him, so at least his hips were not supported completely on the damaged body, his head lying on Kaibas shoulder relaxed, even comfortabe, and his arms around Kaiba, his hands sheltering in the warmth underneath his shirt.  
"Kaiba?", he asked reluctantly. First there wasn't an answer and he decided not to try it again, half because he didn't want any trouble, half because he was afraid to find out Kaiba had died and would be starting to get cold soon. Although his slowly beating heart on Jounouchis shoulder proved him a fool.  
"Yes?", Kaiba answered slowly, tired, with the volume of his voice even when barely more than a whisper making his breast vibrate on Jounouchis neck.  
"How long is it going to take until we freeze to death?"  
"Not long enough", Kaiba answered carelessly, but after a short pause, added: "Why? Are you losing feeling in any of your joints?"  
Jounouchi snorted halfheartedly. "No. Well, actually, yeah, but I guess this is because there is hardly any blood left in any part of me exept for -"  
Kaiba interrupted him and stripped him of the duty to say the last out loud, only to make it worse: "Yes. It's not as if I wouldn't feel your boner pressed up to me for what feels like days now without break."  
"I'm sorry, it's just... Ain't that crazy, we're going to die and still all I can think of is my dick pressed to your bum."  
"Yes. Crazy", Kaiba said uninterestedly, decidedly ignoring the little helpless motion of Jounouchi's hip against his crotch, causing the erection to shove itself beween Kaibas ass and the ground, and this causing Jounouchi to cry out and grip Kaibas sides, causing Kaiba himself to gasp from pain.  
"I'm sorry!", Jounouchi breathed, half a moan, half a swear. "It's just, I can't stand, my brain..."  
Suprisingly Kaiba didn't try to kill him, he just lay still for a couple of seconds, then, voice very low, very raw, he asked: "What do you need?"  
"It's just", Jounouchi sounded miserable now, trying to reach back control but unable to pull away to gather himself, which would allow the cold air around them to get between them.  
When he rolled his hip, freeing his dick from the lovely pressure under Kaibas arse, he hissed again, and in this moment he realised Kaiba had become hard, too, either from being moaned at, or from Jounouchi rubbing against him like a rotting animal.  
"It's just, I haven't had sex in ages and I'm not used to being so close to people, and my dick between your legs doesn't really help with everything either."  
Kaiba had been still again, just lying there motionless, breathing slowly, not helping him out.  
"I'm really sorry", he said, again, shoving his penis desperately back into the cave between Kaibas buttocks and the ground. "I hate to make you feel uncomfortable, and I can't believe I would ever say this, both of this, but all I have been able to think of for hours has been my dick up your butt."  
He froze, shocked at how harsh and dirty and honest the words had flooded out of his mouth, but Kaiba didn't try to kill him this time either.  
"Well, then...", he said, after a while.  
Jounouchi's penis became twenty percent harder just from the thought of how that sentence could end, and he whined helplessly, finally pushing his hips up from Kaiba's, but in the same second he felt bandaged hands on both his sides directly over the rim of his open pants, pushing him back down.  
"Don't", Kaiba said, sharp for the first time since their little intermezzo: "Don't waste the heat."  
"I'm sorry", Jounouchi whined again: "I just can't, I really need some space now, or else I will probably do something really unpleasant to you very soon."  
"Then do it."  
"What?" He stared at Kaiba, who held his crotch in place to keep him from allowing any air between them, but otherwise didn't give any sign of whatever he was thinking. He just lay there with his legs slightly spread and angled, his hands around Jounouchi, his face turned to the ceiling, unseeing and seemingly relaxed.  
"Then let's do it."  
"What the fuck are you talking about?"  
This time Kaiba did respond clearly. "Wheeler. Don't make me punch your stupid face. We can't stay like this, it costs both of us effort, and I really don't want to die slowly with a painful hard-on for hours. I think some action might even get our circulation up again, helping our bodys to survive longer, and unfortunately I am in no physical constitution allowing me to do it myself, so yes. This is not the worst of ideas.  
"Wait, you mean -"  
"Don't make me regret it."  
Jounouchi was at a loss for words, not really helped by his penis desperately telling him to cut the talking and shove it up his butt already.  
"Oh god, my dick feels like a hot burning iron pipe now", he breathed, closing his eyes from the pain washing over his whole body in waves.  
"I can feel it. Now get going."  
"Just to clarify this. Seto Kaiba is allowing me to put my penis up his ass?"  
"He is allowing you to go die outside if you ever say this again. Me tolerating you doing this doesn't mean I will be tolerating you ever talking about this. Before or after or in the middle of this or even in death."  
"Oh my god", was everything Jounouchi could pronounce while thrusting his erection under Kaibas ass again in desperation, this time not even feeling bad.  
"Ok...", he breathed, then again, pulling himself together: "Ok... "We'll go very carefully. I will try to do as few damage as possible, I swear."  
"Don't make a fuzz now", was all Kaiba said, and Jounouchi nodded, and shoved his hands down to their joined hips, and slowly raised his hip from Kaiba's, his fingers brushing over Kaibas waist, the thick thermo pants gave way easily, he tugged them down a bit, but his thin black trousers were a problem. He let his hands wander the rim of the pants, the belt... He bit his lip. The pants were to tight to just push them down a bit, they would be tight around his thighs, not allowing Kaiba to spread his legs, but he couldn't take the pants off without taking the other one off, too.  
"I'm sorry, I think I have to...", he began, but Kaiba interrupted him, getting impacient now.  
"I know, it's fine, just do it already."  
He nodded, breathed in, then withdrew his hand from the warmth to search for his pocket knife in his trousers. When he found it, he hoisted himself up a bit, biting his lip again, but Kaiba wordlessly arched his back, so Jounouchi could temporarily support his hips over his lap, then bend forward, reached around the body with both hands, opened the blade, and then, very carefully, with trembling hands, cut this pants and underpants open right there on the middle seam over his arse, until he couldn't reach anymore. The second he felt the warm, soft flesh of Kaibas butt under his fingertips, he thought he might faint, his penis twitched notibly and it cost him all he had not to just force his dick inside there right now, even more, when Kaiba supported himself on his angled feet and raised his hips up, closer to Jounouchis erection, inviting him without saying anything. But he managed, and grabbed Kaibas hips in a gentle, but determined grip, and guided him back down, laying it over his own lap, his knees spread wide and Kaibas legs spread even wider to both sides of this torso.  
"No, slowly", Jounouchi said firmly.  
"I should turn", Kaiba answered surprisingly unimpressed, but Jounouchi held his shoulder when he propped himself up.  
"You stay on your back", he said and leaned forward, supporting himself on one underarm, then he brushed Kaibas lips with his fingertips. He flinched. "Will you lick my fingers?", Jounouchi asked, trembling from the image of it and from the fear of what Kaiba might do to him for asking that of him.  
"Why?", Kaiba asked, raising one hand to Jounouchis still hovering directly over his mouth, as if he felt it there.  
"Because your only chance of getting out of this now is that looking at you licking my hand would probably make me come so hard that I pass out.  
Something in Kaibas face had changed, he thought Kaiba might have tried to raise his brows, but then, a lopsided, hard, kind of bitter grin spread his mouth and his hand grabbed Jounouchis, brushed over it to get to know it's orientation, and then, raising his head from the ground slightly, he let Jounouchis index finger glide past his lips, holding the hand tight with both hands. The sight of it, the feeling of the tongue wrapping itself around his flesh, really nearly made him pass out. He groaned and his hip pressed down to Kaiba's automatically. But Kaiba didn't acknowledge any of it, just sucked his finger, then the next ones. The hot wetness of his mouth made Jounouchi muse for a moment if it would feel better to bury himself balls deep in Kaibas throat than in his ass, but it was useless, as he had an invitation for the one, which was already a miracle, a very weird miracle, and definitely not getting an invitation for the other, and this was going to be the weirdest thing he had ever done either way. When Kaiba gave his hand free and he pushed it down between them, careful not to wipe it accidently, Kaiba pushed onto his feet again, raising his hips, but Jounouchi pushed it back down with his free hand, then lay on top of Kaiba, before rolling them on their sides carfully. He grabbed Kaibas upper leg and pulled it up over his own body, then layed his wet hand on the small of Kaibas back, reaching deeper into the crack, now exposed between the wide spread legs.  
"I will do it now. Ok?", he said hoarsely. He felt exited and euphoric on one hand, but worried and empathic on the other. He wasn't sure about Kaibas reasons and he was sure there was no way Kaiba would talk to him about what was going to happen, but he couldn't help but finding Kaibas behaviour rather strange.  
When he heard a low "Will you just start now?", he wound his free arm under Kaibas body and pressed him to his own, chest to chest again, before gently pushing his middlefinger into the hot inviting hole. Kaiba did moan softly this time, his hands had landet, probably for a lack of an alternative, around Jounouchis back, and he clang to it now. Jounouchi wished he could, but didn't say a word, just slowly moving this finger. They kep like this in silence for an eternity, while Jounouchi slowly, gently fingered the other, ignoring his pulsing erection, then inserted a second one, then a third one, with Kaiba being absolutely word- and motionless, only his breathing a bit more laboured than usually, once in a while pressing his crotch into Jounouchi's stomache nearly imperceptibly, rubbing against his body, making both of them groan a little. He thought they would go on like this forever. And he wondered if he would mind. Strange enough, even despite of his own painful wish to shove his boner in somewhere dark and tight, he enjoyed the fingering. He enjoyed the tightness around his fingers, arousing him, he kind of enjoyed the feeling that Kaiba gave him that this felt good to him, he enjoyed feeling the muscles on Kaibas back clench and unclench under his hand somewhere between need, wanton and ease. It struck him that Kaiba, even without doing very much or saying anything, was an interesting, responsive lover, who made it very easy for Jounouchi to try to please him, when everytime he succeeded he would get a soft moan, Kaibas hands tighten on his back and his hips pushing up against him a bit more. So he didn't mind going on for quite a while, waiting for Kaiba to do something, telling him to stop, but he didn't, and when he felt it would work and his hard-on had become unbearably expectant, he finally pulled his hand up, turned them back, with Kaiba on his back and Jounouchi on him. He looked at him questioningly, but all Kaiba did was, as before, lie there facing the ceiling, unmoving, breathing a bit heavy, with flushed cheeks and his hair dissheveled.  
Jounouchi pulled his unused hand free from underneath Kaiba, then licked his palm und wetted his burning steal erection hastily. When he layed back on Kaibas stomache and pulled his crotch up his lap, balls touching his stomache, he asked: "Alright?", afraid to say anything else that would make Kaiba forbid him his mouth again. "Don't pee your pants, just do it already", Kaiba said, and when he felt Jounouchis penistip against his ass, but not entering, he said: "Look, just close your eyes, it could be anyone."  
Jounouchi took a deep breath, one hand on his own penis holding it in place, softly pressing against the muscle, the other hand supporting Kaibas back holding it up a bit until he would be in deep enough.  
"Surprisingly, I really don't have to. There is no-one whose butt woud look more appealing to me right now than yours." He smiled nervously and then simply said: "Spread." and Kaiba did, although when Jounouchi pushed in, his legs snapped closed in an instant, his knees pressing up against Jounouchis sides, his back arching off the ground, a voiceless cry on his wet lips.  
Jounouchi pushed him back to the ground with his weight before pressing in further, in smooth, short thrusts, gradually burying himself, until, as he had imagined, balls deep. It was heaven. It was hot and tight and he would give anything now to fuck this tight cave like a madman, but he didn't. When he opened his eyes, Kaiba had thrown his head back, exposing his long neck, his mouth open, and his legs were still in a deadlike grip wrapped around Jounouchis torso. He reached for them, brushed over his knees, the calves, down until passing the waistband and meeting his naked buttcheeks that felt more bony than sensual, but he liked the feeling anyway, back up to the knees, then grabbed them, pushing them off gently, then stronger, and Kaiba gave way, moaning when he allowed his legs and with them his entire body to lose the tension.  
He had thought controlling himself would be much harder, but thrusting in these very slow, deep movements actually satisfied him a lot more than he had thought. He wished to ask but knew Kaiba wouldn't let himself speak about this, if it was ok, if he could handle, if anything hurt. He was determined to just get through with it, although Jounouchi was sure he saw some real pleasure in his face once in a while. He hesitated first, but then let his hands losen the grip on Kaibas hips and let one wander higher, caressing Kaibas naked side, feeling the ribs underneath the skin barely covered in flesh, up to his shoulder, to his neck, fondling it with his thumb, brushing all the way up to his chin, causing it to dip even higher, expose even more neck, and his whole body arching with it slightly. It was in a way beautiful.  
"I'm sure you're quite a sight when you're not wrapped in cardboard and bandages", he whispered, grinning, and Kaiba snorted and snarled at him, his hand autmatically coming up to feel his face, but Jounouchi grabbed it and held it firm next to their heads. "No, don't touch. Or I will have to badage your hands together and tape them to the ground over your head."  
Kaiba pressed his hand in response, but Jounouchi couldn't make out if it was from arrousal or unease: "Now look at this kinky bastard. First you give me the shy one, now we're back to sexy bondage with the blind guy? Should I call you master, too?" He grinned, but there was no joy in it and Jounouchi worried his lip. He had meant it to ease the situation, but being fucked by another, blind, helpless and hurt obviously wasn't as easy for Kaiba as he had made him believe.  
"I'm sorry", he said, his mouth close to Kaibas ear, his hairtips brushing over Kaibas cheek. "I didn't mean it." And as no response followed, he added: "I really enjoy this. I really like your body. I wish we could do this again when you are ok."  
He got no response for that, either except Kaiba pressing his hand tight as Jounouchi went on thrusting, becoming slightly harder, faster, and when he sneaked a hand beween his and Kaibas abdomen, grabbed his erection and pumped, Kaiba gasped and clutched his hand tighter. Jounouchi pushed back, but then freed his hand to let it wander around Kaibas neck, into his hair, combing it with his fingers. It was damp with sweat on the roots and sticky with blood on the top. They would need to be careful.  
They went on like this for a while, Kaiba had gone back to his former state, lying there with his face straight up, his legs tense, his hips just very lightly rocking with the thrusts of Jounouchis hips and fist, but unmoving, his hands laying to either side of his head as if proving that there was no need to tape them.  
After a while, Jounouchi leaned closer, raised his hand and placed it on Kaibas jaw, his thumb touching the side of his lip, Kaiba did for once, show him some reaction: He turned his head to the side Jounouchis hand was lying, slightly opening his mouth as if to be ready to answer the upcoming question, and Jounouchi bent down to kiss him. He flinched fist, but answered then. Jounouchi grabbed his dick tight, stroking hard, harrassing his mouth, his free hand stroking Kaibas naked side, wandering over his body. It worked, it made Kaibas legs twitch, and his hands come into fists, this lips letting out a moan. His breathing became louder, faster, his moans stronger, Jounouchi thought he might as well explode, but needed to hold on for just a bit more, because he really, really needed this to end good, as it was probably his and Kaibas last thing to do ever.  
Kaiba changed, too, his hands wandered until they grabbed the hems of Jounouchis jacket, and clung to it. His legs snaked up around Jounouchi's back and pressed him in further with every thrust, not caring about the hard edges of his shoes cutting into his back. He moaned loud now, and Jounouchi grunted, and their mouths parted as Jounouchi went down kissing his chin, biting his neck, causing Kaiba to groan hard, and he couldn't hold on, too much pressure, to much heat, he cried out when he came, thrusting more, harder, faster, and when he looked up into Kaibas face, thrown back in pleasure, his back arched, he only withdrew his penis and pushed his free hand down there, thrusting three fingers into the open hole, fingerfucking him while pumping viciously. It didn't take more than ten seconds until he send Kaiba over the edge, his head thrown back in a way that looked painful, his mouth wide open in a soundless scream, his bandaged hands gripping down hard in the jacket, his legs trembling, clenched around Jounouchis upper back. He rode it out, getting both of them considerably wet, then they both stilled, just lying there, all energy lost, all tension gone.  
It must have been several minutes before Jounouchi spoke. "Kaiba?", he gently said, not bothering to raise his head from the other's breast.  
"What?", Kaiba said hoarsely.  
"Are you ok?"  
"Will you stop asking this? What would it matter now?"  
"Shut up. We are not going to die."  
"And how do you know that now?"  
"Because I know destiny. And she is a real bitch. And she would sure find it entertaining to make someone find us like this, glued together and with your pants cut open when we are still able to feel the embaressment."  
"I hate saying that, but this even makes sense."  
"Yeah, right?"  
Kaiba snorted, and Jounouchi chuckled, and they kept silent for a second, until Jounouchi said: "What do you say, I sacrifice my t-shirt to wipe us, then we try to get our clothes comfortable again and then we crawl even deeper into this thing so our sweaty hair won't ice.  
"Sounds thrilling to me", Kaiba said, and Jounouchi did as he had said, swearing about the clothing when cutting the shirt from himself and carefully wiped their naked fronts, then hesitatet, but liftet Kaibas hips and placed a part of the textile under his ass so he wouldn't lie in the semen slowly seeking out, and when he felt Kaiba stiffen, he brushed through his hair, tidying it a bit, smoothing it down, feeling for the bleeding headwound, then pulled up both their pants and raised the sleeping bag high up around them. He rolled onto his side, pulling Kaiba with him, their legs entangled and their bodys close together, and wrapped his arms around Kaiba tightly, tugging Kaibas head against his neck unter his chin, supporting it with his bottom shoulder so he could keep it face-up.  
Kaiba didn't say a word, but he did let everything happen without protest and shoved his arms around Jounouchi under his jacked, his hands pressed to the warm skin, and like this they stayed.  
"We're not dying", Jounouchi said, voice nearly a whisper.  
"We'll see", Kaiba said tiredly.  
"No. We're not dying. They know we are missing. They know where we wanted to go. They know the route you were taking. They are looking for us right now. And they are going to find us. And you will be ok."  
"I will be blind."  
"You will be a blind, gorgeous, powerful motherfucker", Jounouchi said, his nose twitching.  
"You are one crazy bastart, really. Does that turn you on?"  
"I'm trying to consolate you here, you ignorant brat!"  
"Yes. Thanks for that", Kaiba said, but his voice didn't agree. He sounded tired and resigned and indifferent.  
"You will be fine. I promise", Jounouchi said, swallowing hard, and asked himself how much time they had left until he proved himself wrong.


	2. About the motherfucker and all

The next time he woke, it was warm and there was bright light around him. He knew that he was in a hospital, even before he had fully opened his eyes. He exhaled, turned his head. There was another bed to his left. A girl with thick black hair sat upright, listening to music over the laptop on her nightstand. He turned the other way. A window. Everything was white and untelling. He propped himself up on his elbowes and was surprised to find he was fine, although tired and confused, and his shoulder still hurt. He lifted the blanked. He was wearing his long Pjs. Someone muste have brought clothes from his home. Well, that was good, he decided, trying to make sense out of everything, filing through his last memories. His last memory was Kaiba coughing against his chest, waking him from a light sleep, then dozing back off.  
He should find Kaiba. He should find Yugi. He should also find whomever had brought his clothes and tell them he was fine. They were probably worried.  
When he swung his legs out of the bed, the girl next to him looked up, but she didn't say anything, just stare at him and finally nod strangely. He nodded back, then got to his feet, carefully trying, but finding himself alright, so he moved to the door and opened it. A long corridor. White and green. No-one there. He made another step, and in this second, Yugi's head appeared around the corner. When he saw him, he nearly lost grip on his steaming papercup. "Jounouchi!", he screamed", and Jounouchi grinned, "Yugi!", he answered, relieved. The sight of the boy gave him the feeling all of his problems were solved and whereever he was, he was safe now.  
Yugi set the cup down carelessly on a bench on the way, when he started hurrying towards him and threw his arms up, and Jounouchi bent down so they could hug.  
"I'm so glad to see you", he said, patting the boy's back.  
"I''m so glad you are fine!", Yugi answered. They giggled a bit, then broke apart, and Jounouchi simply said: "I feel good. Did you bring my pajamas?"  
"No, Serenity did. She's out having a shower. You were out for two days. You had us worried."  
"Well, YOU had us worried first!", Jounouchi grinned. "What happened?"  
Yugi suddenly flinched and a guilty look came onto his face. "I'm so sorry. It was really nothing. And you went through all this just to come for me..."  
Jounouchi patted Yugi on the back when they strode to the bench and picked up the boy's hot chocolate.  
"It's fine. I'm fine. They found us. But speaking of – what about Kaiba?"  
"He's here, too. Another part of the building, though. He's had surgery and everything."  
Jounouchi nodded. "So what about him? Is he alright?"  
"Yeah, well... He's ok. Not as good as you, but..."  
"What about his eyes?", Jounouchi asked, expectantly, but worried.  
"Mokuba said they say his right eye is probably going to be able to see... some... but his left... And, well... He doesn't take it quite well."  
"Yeah. Surprise", Jounouchi said, feeling a hard, painful sting in his breast. "So he's awake", he said with his throat tight.  
"Yes. We can go and see if he's up", Yugi said.  
"Just let me put on some clothes first", Jounouchi said, trying go gain some time to sort his brain. This was going to be so strange. And very, very unpleasant, of that much he was sure.  
"There are some clothes in the drawer next to your bed", Yugi said, and Jounouchi turned, nodding, and was gone.

He knocked hesitantly, softly, on the door, and heard footsteps almost inmediately. When the door was yanked open, he had the "K" pronounced already, but it was Mokuba, beaming at them, stepping back and opening the door for them.  
"You're here! This is great! Come in!", he said, inviting them in by waving his hand. When Jounouchi looked into the room, he found barely nothing. A white, empty room except for one chair with Mokubas jacket over it, and only one bed, in which Kaiba said, upright unmoving, with a blanket over his legs and lap, his hands losely gripped into it.  
"Seto, it's Yugi, he's brought Jounouchi!", Mokuba exclaimed, striding back to the bed. At this, Kaiba did raise his head finally, directing it at the door, where they still stood, unsure of what to do. Jounouchi watched him carefully. He was wearing a surgery garment, but his hair was more tidyly kempt than ever. His eyes were covered whis bandages and at the side top of his head there was quite a spot of hair shaved off with fresh stitches showing.  
"Kaiba. Can we come in, please?", Jounouchi asked softly, one hand on the doorframe.  
"Do as you wish", he said, and then, when they came closer, his face still directed at the door, obviously uncaring where to direct his blind stare at, finally he said: "Are you ok?"  
Jounouchi felt something warm in him, when he came closer and nodded, and then, angry about himself, said: "Good as new. What about you?"  
Kaiba hesitated, opened his mouth, then closed it again. Jounouchi took a closer look at his face. It was bruised and cut. Everything about him was. His hands were bandaged again, though thinner and neater than he had done it.  
Mokuba and Yugi had stood back while Jounouchi had gotten close to the bed, though not daring to take the seat next to it.  
"How about I get Mokuba another hot chocolate?", Yugi offered, and both their heads turned to his voice.  
"Yeah, let's go", Mokuba said: "Be right back, Seto." His brother nodded, and they were gone, the door closing behind them.  
"Now. What about you?", Joys insisted. Kaiba opened his mouth again, hesitatet again, but only said: "I'm fine."  
Jounouchi gave it up and sat on the chair, bending slightly forward.  
"You don't look like it."  
"Well I can't see", he said dryly. The stinging came back.  
"They said your right eye will recover, didn't they?", he asked hopefully.  
"They said", Kaiba said, and it was clear it cost him a huge effort to pronounce the words neutrally: "There is a chance I might get some of my sight back to my right eye at some point." The stinging grew heavier. Kaiba raised a hand to the bandage over his eye and started pulling on it, but Jounouchi catched his hand and pulled it away. "Don't touch it!", he demanded, but Kaiba only raised the other hand and went on, pulled it down just enough for Jounouchi to see the right eye. The eyelid was hugely scarred. And then he opened is eye, and Jounouchi swallowed hard. His iris was damaged so his pupil looked as if it was leaking into the iris, producing a free form with black strands parting the iris criss-cross-like.  
It was bizarre. Kaiba made sure Jounouchi had enough time and opportunity to look at it, before he closed this eye and pulled the bandage back over it.  
"Did they tell you what it looks like?", Jounouchi asked after a moment of silence, suddenly realising Kaibas wrist was still in his hand, and he gave it free.  
"They told me what technically had happened to both my eyes", he said.  
"It's not that bad, you know. It looks... unusual. But it's not, like, disgusting or anything."  
"Yeah, well, this is what I have my left eye for", he said bitterly.  
"Kaiba!", Jounouchi exclaimed, leaning forward, grabbing both his fists in the blanket. "You are fine. You are alive. It will heal. Now don't do this to you!"  
"Do what exactly?", Kaiba asked, trying to hold his icy majesty up, sitting upright in his green hospital garments like a king in a fur cape, but bis voice bitter with bile.  
"Sit there wollowing in self-pity!"  
"Don't you dare assuming -", Kaiba began through gritted teeth, but Jounouchi pressed his hands so hard that he broke off, hissing, and finally, after a moment of silence, all he said was: "I can't work." It sounded like desperation badly hidden under frustration.  
"You will find a way for everything", Jounouchi said, releasing the grip on his hands and allowing Kaiba to pull them away from him sharply.  
They said there in silence, until the door opened and Yugi came in.  
"Serenity is back, Jounouchi", he announced and he pulled a bunch of people into the room behind him. Jounouchi jumped up when he saw her, and gave her a firm hug, and then said: "I'm fine. We can leave." Her eyes got watery as she nodded.  
When he saw Mokuba taking back his position next to the bed, with a papercup in hands, toeing off his shoes and putting his legs onto the bed, and Kaiba stretching out a hand to straddle his shin as if magically knowing it was there, he was sure Kaiba was in good hands. He saw something glistering on Kaibas hand and took another glance. It was the ring. He was still wearing it. Probably hadn't even noticed.  
When he was at the door with everyone else out, he turned around and said: "Kaiba, you know, what I said about that motherfucker thing and all..." He waited for an answer.  
"Yes. And all", Kaiba said, understanding perfectly well. He was, after all, pretty bright.  
"It's totally true."  
Kaiba snorted. "You twisted bastard", he said, but the corners of his mouth twitched upwards just the tiniest bit.

When Jounouchi was back in his room, packing his things, he got distracted by the thermopants hanging over a chair. He strode over and stuck his hand in the pocket. He found it inmediately. When he pulled the ring out, it looked absolutely identical to Kaibas. He looked for an engraving or something, but there was nothing found. It slid on his ring finger nearly accidentaly, and fitted just perfect. He looked at it in phascination and bewilderment, then took it off and shoved it down his jeanspocket. He wondered if anyone had noticed Kaibas sliced trousers.


	3. About number deficiency

"So, you and Kaiba", Yugi said after a while of expectant silence on their way home after school. Jounouchi gulped. He had waited for this to come from the moment Yugi had told him how they had found him, both unconcious, or at least unresponding, in a sleeping bag, in a tent, in a crashed little airplane, two days after they had gone lost, with their joints knotted around each other.  
"Yeah. What is it?", he asked bravely, determined to be really cool about it.  
"You know, I'm not stupid."  
"Nobody assumed that, Yug", Jounouchi answered rolling his eyes.  
"I know...", he said, smiling softly. "I just wanted to tell you... There is two things actually. First one is, you know I have been at Kaiba's last week to tell him about schoolwork."  
Jounouchi rolled his eyes again. Everyone knew Kaiba wouldn't do his homework, might even consider not ever going to school again. Why Yugi would bother to copy all his notes for Kaiba was beyond him.  
"So. We had a talk." Jounouchi froze. He watched Yugi carefully, but there was nothing in his face giving away if the talk had been the "We had sex"-talk, or the "what-a-bastard-he-is"-talk.  
"Yeah, so...?", he just said in the end, trying to sound not too nervous.  
"He told me you had something that belonged to him and he wanted it back", Yugi stated, looking at Jounouchi intensely. Jounouchi's heart gave a hard intermediate beat. "Oh. Yeah. I know. I have been... Keeping it for him. Just haven't seen him since then. Already two weeks now, wow."  
"I asked him if I should ask you to give it to me so I could bring it next time with the school work, but he said, you knew exactly it was your job to get your "lazy ass the hell to his house and hand it back, because it wasn't your right to take it in the first place."  
"Oh... Yeah...", Jounouchi said, quietly, feeling even more guilty now. He sure understood Kaiba wanted his this ring back, and that he wouldn't allow Yugi to know about this whole thing. He still wasn't sure how to interprete this whole story anyways.  
"And... As for the other thing." Yugi looked away for a second, seemingly at a loss for words, but then looked up at him decidedly. "So, you see, when I was there, we talked, and he wanted to check something, and I was, sort of, standing next to him when he unlocked his phone, and the code..."  
"Yeah, let me take a wild guess. It's 0-1-2-5, right?", Jounouchi asked snarling.  
Yugi was surprised. "But, you..?", he stumbled.  
"Let's just say, Kaiba has a very surprising number deficiency.  
"Uhm... Ok...?", Yugi asked, confused, but obviously not willing to ask again. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to, I kind of assumed, because, you see..."  
"I know, because you found us freezing to death holding onto each other for dear life with half our clothes cut open making it look like a wild animal fight."  
"Well... Yes. No, that was not what I..."  
"What then?"  
"It was kind of also because Mokuba said you were the very first thing Kaiba had inquired about after waking up." He made a little pause to give Jounouchi the opportunity to understand this, wich he spent imagining how Kaiba had woken up, bruised, in pain, and said: "Hope that pervy mutt has bitten the dust by now", which in a way made Jounouchi grin.  
"And also, because it is rather obvious that you two have been intimate back there."  
Jounouchi nearly lost it this time, caughing violently, staring at Yugi like he was a ghost.  
"Fuck, Yugi! Don't say something like this, it's..."  
"But it's true, right? Look, as I said, I am not stupid, and the both of you have always been, well..."  
Jounouchi shook his head violently, waving his hands even more violently. "Oh no no no no!"; he said sharply: "Whatever you are implying, it's not like that. Most definitely not. This... situation... up there, it was really... special. And this makes people act really strange, you know. But it's not at all what you are thinking!"  
"Ok. Fine. I'm sorry I have bothered you with this. I just really thought you'd know by know and it might bother you... somehow. And I wanted you to know that it's not worth bothering at all."  
"Know what?"  
"About me and Kaiba and all this?"  
"About you and... wait what?!", Jounouchi screeched. "What the fuck, Yugi! You're not honestly telling me you and Kaiba... You -" the thought of Yugi and Kaiba made him so sick he wanted to throw up inmediately, and he didn't even know whom of both to blame more for this. Probably both.  
"No, oh god, no! Don't get me wrong!", Yugi screeched himself now, looking terrified, shaking his head. "It wasn't like that. We have gone out together, like, two or three times, last year, you know, I think he was really into me, kind of, but it was also really weird, because, well I think he still thought Atemu and me were the same person, sort of, and it didn't really work out... Also... You know how he is. It was really difficult imagining to be... involved... with him... And then you know I..."  
"You started dating Anzu", Jounouchi nodded. Yugi's cheeks slightly blushed.  
"So, wait, you and Kaiba, you never, you never had any...?"  
"Sex? No! God no! I... I must admit I actually thought he was not into... this sort of... human behaviour at all. That'swhy I was so surprised to see... But then again, I always had the feeling that you..."  
"Wait", Jounouchi interrupted him, raising his hands defensively: "You mean Kaiba is asexual?"  
"Uhm... yes? Maybe? Well, no, obviously not, but back then...", Yugi looked pensieve now.  
"So he never tried anything, never said anything?"  
"No. Not even the slightest. I mean. He was being... Quite nice, actually. Took me out for dinner. To the theater. Invited me to his place. But he never, I mean, really never, gave me the feeling this kind of relationship he wanted with me could contain something... physical."  
"So, he was kind of after a platonic love-affair with you?"  
"Uhm... Maybe?"  
"Wow. This is fucked up. I mean, not fucked up. I mean, if he wouldn't like sex I could kind of... understand, because... I mean, not everyone... enjoys... sex, or... whatever. And he kind of seems like someone who enjoys harrassing people nearly as much as orgasm, haha." He snickered, but couldn't shake the feeling. Kaiba hadn't tried anything on him, either. He had assumed, because he had made snarky comments about his hornyness. And because he had kind of jumped at the whole boner-to-ass story. But then again, Kaiba had been the one who had kissed him first, even groped him clumsily, offered to wank him. But it had been obvious from the beginning that he wasn't doing things like that on a daily basis, and by that he actually meant, probably had never done any of this before, except for the kissing maybe, which he was really quite a natural talent in.  
"So. How did it end?", he asked after a while, looking at Yugi curiously.  
"We sort of came to the conclusion, that we didn't enjoy being around each other... enough... And... That was it, really."  
"Ok...?", well, that was... unexpected. "Why didn't you tell me then?"  
Yugi smiled nervously. "I don't know, I think, I was afraid that you wouldn't approve, or rather, that you would be really mad at Kaiba for seducing me, maybe? But than wasn't how it was between us at all. So, I... Well. And it was over rather soon."  
"Ok..., so... The rings?", Jounouchi asked after a while.  
"Yes. Yes, the rings... I saw him wearing it after he woke up, don't think he even noticed himself." Jounouchi nodded, as this was what he had thought himself. "So, I assumed this was the thing Kaiba wanted back from you."  
"Hm. You're not stupid indeed", Jounouchi grinned. "So, this leaves me even more confused than before. So you say he didn't continue having any interest in you after that?"  
"I can't be sure. But he didn't ever say anything anymore and he also behaved differently. You know. He even stopped being obsessed about defeating me in Duel Monsters and everything."  
"That's true, for once."  
They stood there, looking at each other, then somewhere else, musing abut this whole thing, when they're gazes crossed again, Jounouchi finally said: "So why did you tell all this?"  
Yugi looked helplessly at him for a second, then shrugged. "I don't even now. I just saw you were getting... somewhere... or least kind of have been... somewhere. And I got the impression you are kind of at a loss when it comes to him."  
Jounouchi sighed. "Yeah, that much is true for sure."  
"So, all I wanted to say is that it's easy to see that you kind of care, and I think he does, too. And I really don't know if it is possible to share a normal... healthy... relationship, or friendship, with Kaiba... But I think if someone could, then you."  
Jounouchi gave a snort and smiled at him, patting his back. "Thank you, Yugi. That was really sweet of you. Although I don't think it makes things easier."  
They smiled at each other, then walked in silence.  
Number deficiency, ha! My ass, he thought to himself when he entered his flat. Kaibas phone hadn't had a code lock two weeks ago.


	4. About the urge of proximity

It had taken him another three days to finally go there. But he was, now. Standing in front of the the mansion, he hesitated to ring the bell, but after a short moment pressed the button determinedly, before he could even start considering not to do it after all and better leave now. As in the hospital, he felt like this was really, really strange and after all, Kaiba and him were not exactly friends, and a desperation fuck would make them neither friends nor lovers, and he knew Kaiba was going to rub this under his nose at the first opportunity.  
It was also rather difficult for him to bring his own feelings ans expectations into a logical order.  
Why was he here? What did he want? What did he not want?  
There was no point in denying, at least to himself, that he had, despite of the circumstances, highly enjoyed sex with Kaiba. Although he hadn't had thought about it even once in all the time before, and although it probably had never happened in their lifes if they had not been forced upon each other both physically and emotionally, he still found Kaiba's body, even as wrecked as it had been, very appealing, and had been extremely arroused by his body as well as his behavior.  
And he had, after all, told Kaiba he wished they could do that again when he was better. And he did. In fact, imagining Kaiba's face when he came never had failed to get him painfully hard these last days, and he didn't bother to lie to himself, when he masturbated, he thought about Kaiba. He thought about fucking, kissing him, just like there in the tent, but harder, faster, wilder, with Kaibs knees up over Jounouchis shoulders, making him cry out. He thought about Kaibas penis in him, about riding him, holding his hands down to both sides of his head, getting moans from him, he imagined Kaibas longing gaze upon his naked body, he thought about Kaibas head between his legs, comfortably on the bed, how it would feel when the hairtips would tickle his groin while he sucked him off, he thought about pulling Kaiba into the toilet at school, tugging his pants down hastily, falling to his knees and giving him a blowjob he would never forget, fingering him at the same time, how pleasing it would be to look up and see Kaiba loosing his shit, hardly able to keep silent enough, how he would make Kaiba reconsider, setting new standards to his whole idea of satisfaction.  
He knew he didn't really have a crush or anything, but he knew the time they had shared in the tent up there had been so intense for him, there hadn't been anything even remotedly close to ging him that thrilling feeling that fucking Kaiba had caused him.  
He wanted to own Kaiba, to possess him, his body, but also his mind, he wanted to make sure he was the one Kaiba dreamed of at night, he was the one he was jerking off to, he wanted to make sure he was the only one who would get to see Kaiba throwing his head back like this, crying out soundlessly.  
He bit his lip, hard, while waiting for someone to open the door, to force the upcoming erection away, and looked down the front of his body, checking his looks, but called hmself a moron at the next second. Kaiba wouldn't tell anyways.  
He felt slightly bad for coming only now, especially after Kaiba had already coplained about him not showing up, but wasn't sure what to expect from Kaiba after all.  
Did he really only want his ring back? Was there any chance he would get to screw him again? Was there any change they might even have a civil conversation? Or would he just return to his old self now, denying that this ever happened, or pinning it on the circumstances? Jounouchi would not even blame him. For all he knew Kaiba had had major injuries and could as well have been half delirious. Also, only because you would fuck someone in the face of death didn't actually mean that wou would consider this a good idea when having a choice of your sexual partners.  
He thought about what he would do, if that was the case. If Kaiba would tell him to leave, of even insult him like he had done before, ignoring everything in the meantime.  
What if he was furious about what happened? What if he blamed him for taking advantage of him while in a state like this? What if he feld ashamed of what happened or anything?  
Well that would sure be fucked up. He sighed.  
Suddenly the door opened, and for the split of a second Jounouchi had an image of him merely taking Kaiba by the collar, pushing him inside, throwing the door closed, shoving him into a wall and pull his pants down. But then it was a black haired man in his fourties opening the door, and Jounouchi gulped. He waited for the man to say something, but he didn't, only stood there and looked at him expectantly, so he came to the conclusion, if he wanted to get somewhere, he would need to be polite.  
"Hello. Uhm... I'm Jounouchi Katsuya... Uhm, Kaiba... sort of... ordered me here to give him something."  
The man raised his brows. Seemed to consider. Then, nodding, he stepped back and waved him inside by merely a tiny jerk of his head.  
"Kaiba-Sama is in the office upstairs. I will escort you there." His voice was low and friedly, but professional. Still, something in the behaviour of the man made Jounouchi believe that he did have a friendly, maybe even caring character. He was handsome and his movements were gentle as his voice was.  
Jounouchi followed him as he went up the stairs before him and stopped at a door half ajar, then knocked.  
"Kaiba-Sama", he said, carefully, looking at Jounouchi briefly giving him a warning look that confused Jounouchi, and opened the door a bit wider. Kaiba was sitting on a desk with the back towards him, tiping. When he heard the voice, he turned his head to the side, though not looking at them but merely indicting he was listening. "What is it?", he asked, but didn't sound annoyed at all, instead, he was friendly, and it made Jounouchi muse what kind of person the elder man would be that made Kaiba respect him like that.  
"Young Jounouchi Katsuya here says he came on your demand to bring you something."  
"Oh", Kaiba said, and finally stopped tiping completely. He turned around, this time also turning his shoulders, and faced them directly now.  
His left eye was taped, though it was barely visible unter his long bangs combed to the side of his face, but his right eye was open, and Jounouchi felt himself tense when he cought side of it. Even unfocused it gave Kaiba quite an intense stare, the scars around his eye only seemed to reinforce the impression that the torn iris gave. It was hypnotizing, because it was unusual, and uncertain, and made him shudder.  
"Come in. And, Hayase, please leave us in private for a minute."  
"Good. I will be there to show you out when you are done, Jounouchi-Kun", the man, Hayase, said, and nodded at him. Jounouchi had the feeling his gaze had become a tiny bit more friendly, as he knew now that Kaiba did invite him indeed." He stepped through the door hesitantly and it was closed after him, then he took two more steps into the room, Kaibas gaze following him, but it was slightly off and made him feel unconfortable, or at least self concious in a way.  
"Uhm...", Jounouchi stumbled, then took a seat at a couch next to the desk on the wall, but Kaiba shook his head: "No, sit there, please", he said, indicating the chair opposite to the desk.  
"Uh, ok...?", Jounouchi said, got up quickly and walked around the table, with Kaibas dead-like glare following him. "Why?", he said, nervously picking up conversation.  
"It is not possible for me to see your shadow when you're in front of a wall. It is, however, over there with the light source behind you."  
"Ah...", Jounouchi said, nearly he had added 'I see', but caught himself just in time.  
"So you can see light and dark now."  
Kaiba nodded. "Yes. Blurry shadows. I might even get back a bit of colour-sight, though my iris won't the able to produce a sharp picture anymore. It will probably only be a blurry mess of coloured blothes."  
His voice was very neutral while he said this and Jounouchi was reminded of the way he had said something similar in the hospital, trying to sound reasonable, but cracking only shortly after, allowing all his frustration to show for a second.  
"I think that sounds not too bad, actually. You will be able to orient and everything. You already are! That's great, it makes me really happy." He smiled but felt not really happy at all.  
"So", Kaiba said dismissively: "You are here to - "  
"Yes, first things first", Jounouchi said, putting a hand in his pocked and retrieving the ring.  
"Here, your ring."  
Kaiba didn't do anything at first, but hesitantly stretched out his arm over the table then, his palm facing up and simply waited.  
Jounouchi took his hand and placed the ring on is palm, then closed his hand and pushed it gently back. Kaiba pulled it close, then opened his hand and looked down, feeling his palm with the fingertips of the other hand, brushing over the ring, groping testingly, then he closed his fingers around the ring again and sat there, hesitating again.  
Jounouchi got the impression he didn't know where to put it, maybe worried that he wouldn't find it afterwords, or possibly brushing it from the table accidently.  
"Should I put it somewhere for you?", he offered and Kaiba seemingly considered, then said: "Yes. In the upper drawer, but make sure it doesn't end up between a bunch of other small stuff."  
"Sure", Jounouchi said, in a way thankful for the opportunity to help and break the ice. He came around the table and carefully pushed Kaibas hovering hand out of the way so he could open up the drawer.  
He froze. Obviously, it was the "Private Stuff" drawer. There was a passport and a stack of photos, the one on top showing Mokuba in a school theater play or something, dressed as a ridiculously cute proud knight. A couple of SD-Cards, some randomly fallen in paperclips...  
"Ok, uhm... I think I should take all the paperclips out so you don't get distracted.  
Kaiba nodded, sitting there, frowning. He carefully shoved a couple of things aside, picking all the clips out one by one, putting then on the desktop. He pulled the drawer out completely to get to see if there were more in the back, but there weren't, then he shoved some things aside a bit, but then he suddenly saw the ringbox, and he took and opened it. The other one was in there. He nodded to himself, then said to Kaiba: "Give it to me, then", stretching out his hand demandingly without looking, as his gaze was stuck in the little box. When nothing happened, he looked up finally, just to find Kaibas open hand hovering only an inch away from his, and he could have slapped himself. He took the ring and put it in the box.  
"Good, very good", he said, placing the box in the middle of the empty space he had made.  
"I put it in the ringbox and placed it right here, let me show you", he announced and grabbed Kaibas hand, which twitched from the unexpected touch but then relaxed so he could guide it into the drawer and place his fingertips on top of the box. Kaiba instinctively fondled it, then let his hand crawl considerately over the other objects surrounding it, then feeling the edges of the drawer to map the place. Jounouchi had the feeling, Kaiba hadn't used this drawer since loosing his eyesight, since he groped different objects curiously, a charger, the stack of photos, he accidently brushed the upper photo aside a bit, revealing a much older one, shoving him and Mokuba playing chess. Jounouchi hadn't even recognised him if it wasn't so clear the other one was Mokuba. He couldn't be older than eight, smiling happy at the camera.  
"Careful there, you are disarranging the photos. Better not mess this up or you won't find stuff anymore."  
Kaiba had pulled his hand back immediately and Jounouchi shoved the photo back to it's place.  
"Is there something else you need me to place or get for you?"  
Suddenly, Kaiba changed.  
"No", he only said determinedly, pulling his hand to his lap and looking in another direction. Jounouchi nodded and went back to his place hurriedly, suddenly uncomfortable so close to Kaiba, rummaging through his personal things. When he sat back down, Kaiba looked as if he was going to tell him he was allowed to go now, but then, when he was back in his seat, he didn't.  
"I'm not only here because of the ring", he said, leaning forwards,  
"Is that so?", Kaiba said coolly: "What can I do for you then?"  
Jounouchi fought back the image of him going around the table, opening his fly and shiving his cock into Kaiba's mouth, getting himself a blowjob right there in his office chair, then shook his head violently and said: "I wanted to see how you're doing."  
"Fine, as you see. Turns out I do manage to get some work done after all."  
"Great", Jounouchi said smiling, then tried to keep the conversation going, afraid that Kaiba would throw him out at the first silence. "How do you do the tiping thing?"  
Kaiba snarled. "I haven't been looking at the keyboard while tiping for ages."  
"Oh... Ok... And, how about the other thing, like, changing windows and everything?"  
Kaiba kept silent for a moment, then he said: "Actually, I don't. I just put everything in a document and leave notes for Hayase about what to do with each text."  
"Ah, yeah, that's clever", Jounouchi said nervously.  
"I will have to think about a durable solution, however. Something based on tactile or auditive response probably."  
"Yeah, that sounds... logic...", he agreed, then didn't know what to say anymore and Kaiba obviously was not going to help him out here.  
"Look, Kaiba", he cut himself off, biting his lip for the fauxpas, but Kaiba thankfully didn't respond to it at all. He dealed with it quite well actually. He felt a sudden wave of respect for the other.  
"I'm actually here to say... You know, what happened..."  
"Yes, I know", Kaiba interrupted him: "We did what had to be done, which probably saved our lives back there, but we were both thinking highly irrational at that point and we should just accept that it happened in a very special situation, so it's not worth letting ourselfes be to intimidated by it.  
"Oh, yeah. Yeah", Jounouchi said, then paused, and said: "Or... Actualy, no. I am not intimidated or any such thing."  
"No?", Kaiba said with a soft voice, eyebrows up, looking at him expectantly, but Jounouchi got the feeling, his gaze was supposed to tell him "You don't really want to re-open this whole thing now, do you?" It was ovious Kaiba thought it was the best solution just to ignore what had happened, exept he had seemingly decided he wasn't going to treat Jounouchi like an unworthy worm anymore, thankfully.  
"No, I kind of, well..." His voice trailed off, as he knew exactly what the answer was, but he definitely wasn't planning on saying that put loud. But Kaiba didn't help him out there, so not finding a good excuse and already said too much to pretend he hadn't started this, finally he just gave up.  
"Oh fuck it", he cursed, then leant over the table, looking Kaiba in the eye dispite the futility of it.  
"It might have been because of the circumstances and everything, but I did enjoy it a lot and I can't get it out of my head and the thought of not getting that ever again drives me insane really!" Kaina fell silent, just staring in the off, and after a while Joay startet bum shuffeling around on his chair uncomfortably, what sort of snapped Kaiba out of the paralyse, because opened his mouth, unspeaking, and finally said: "So you want to say you would actually like to do that again?", he asked, as if confused.  
"Well, yeah. Why are you so shocked about that. I told you so back then. I meant it. You're hot. You're a good lay, kind of. And you gave me the feeling you liked it, too."  
His heart rate accallerated rapidly when Kaiba kept silent again."  
"I merely assumed... I am not exactly..."  
Jounouchi kind of had the feeling he knew where that was leading, and he wasn't going to make it so easy for him.  
"I know, we haven't really gotten along so well in the past, and I still think you've been an arrogant ass quite frequently, and I know, you have a company and you should be with someone with a reputation and everything, and I am not really your type, as in, not a girl at least, and I'm way under your level, being an idiot an all, but that doesn't mean -",  
"I was not going to say that", Kaiba interrupted him suddenly, and he didn't even seem angry.  
"But then, what?", Jounouchi asked, taking a deep breath, looking at Kaiba closely, trying to see something in his face, but it was difficult with so much of it hidden in the shadows under his bangs.  
"I assumed you wouldn't be willing to put up with my... personality, just for... some... satisfaction. You could have that with... others.", he said, slowly, thoughtfully.  
"Well that's some bullshit", Jounouchi answered promptly. You might be an ass once in a while, but it's not that you're unbearably or overly difficult to handle. In fact, I think, mostly I know how to take you by now."  
Kaiba looked rather perplexed at that, and he raised one brow, unbelieving.  
"Also, its not only some satisfaction. It was fun. If it hadn't been for the whole we are going to die-thing, and the whole seeing as you were quite injured-thing, I would maybe have considered it the best sex of my life."  
"Oh. Wow", Kaiba said, sounding sarcastic, and Jounouchi wanted to punch him for that.  
"You're such an asshole! I come here to tell you that I'm horny for you and I really liked being with you and I would like to do that again, and all you can do is make fun of me!"  
Kaiba did look somewhat taken aback at that. He hesitated, then said, still unconvinced: "No. That wasn't my intention."  
"So what?"  
"What?", Kaiba echoed him, he seemed not to understand. Jounouchi rolled his eyes.  
"I told you I liked it. I want more of it. Now it's your turn to say something."  
Kaiba opened his mouth, but hesitated again. It occured to Jounouchi he did it on purpose just to let him know that eventually he was going to answer.  
"You weren't mistaken."  
"What?", Jounouchi asked confused, annoyed even.  
"You weren't mistaken when assuming I enjoyed it, too. Despite the circumstances."  
"So what?", Jounouchi pushed on, though he already felt some relief.  
"Well. You see, for once I didn't assume you would have any interest in this to happen again. And also I figured, even if you had, there are some more reasons for you to reconsider, that you are not aware of, yet." He looked uneasy now, though trying to keep it neutral.  
"What reasons?", Jounouchi demanded.  
"Well, my... condition, for one thing."  
Jounouchi gaped. "What, with the eyes you mean?"  
Kaiba kept silent.  
"You mean, you think I would not want to deal with you because you don't see too well?"  
Kaiba didn't answer this time either, but after a moment, he specified: "Also, it must look rather..."  
Jounouchi cut him off sharply. "Don't be stupid! I told you, it's nothing repelling about that or anything. It's unused, is all. Besides, nobodys perfect and shit!" Jounouchi wished Kaiba would raise his head so he could say this to his face, his eyes, that were hidden in the shadows now, but he didn't.  
After a while, Kaiba heavily said: "There is another reason."  
"Tell me!", Jounouchi requested, unsure of what to expect. It seemed this one was something weighting heavier, anyways, as Kaiba composed himself firmly, sitting up straight, putting both hands on the table.  
"It showes that I have... another perception of certain... values. As other people. And I think therefore I am a very... incompatible person... to be with."  
Jounouchi frowned deeply, not really understanding any word.  
"So it's true, you're really asexual or something?", he asked confusedly, and thought, how can someone who is asexual come so hard from being screwed in the butt?  
"I am not asexual", Kaiba said resolutely.  
"What is it, then? With your values and all."  
Kaiba considered for a moment, then explained: "It seems, I do, unlike other people, and this is kind of uneasy for me as I don't fully understand their concept about this at all, not feel the urge of... proximity."  
Jounouchi frowned again. "So, you mean... But, you didn't seem to mind so much when we were in that sleeping bag and everything...?"  
"I don't mind. Actually. I don't really care. I don't dislike touching. But, with time, I got to understand, that other people... Have a feeling. About touching. About being close. Which I don't have. I don't desire... closeness."  
"Ok...?", Jounouchi simply said, not sure where to put that. "But you do desire sex... right?"  
"I do."  
"Well then I don't see a problem", he simply stated.  
"You don't understand. But I assure you, at some point it always... I seem not to be able to... meet peoples... expectations, and this usually causes them to... misinterpret me. And this is... rather unpleasant, mostly."  
Jounouchi sighed. "Ok, listen, I'm not gonna lie to you. Yugi told me about this thing you had. And that he kind of didn't know where to put you. Because you kinda wanted to be with him, but not exactly be with him, know what I mean, as in, dunno, go anywhere... with him."  
Kaiba simply nodded, though he did not exactly seem to feel comfortable with this topic.  
"But well, we... We have kinda already gone... somewhere. So I don't see a danger to misinterpret you or anything."  
"No. Well. I fear you don't understand the extent of my... incomprehension of... human..."  
"Oh come off it, Kaiba. I sure as hell did know before you weren't exactly an everyday normal guy before. Or a happy bunny that is. But that didn't bother me until now. I don't need you to understand... humans." He grinned. "Also. We seem to be able to be pretty civil around each other now and we already proved that we can have good sex. What else could get in the way?"  
Kaiba still sat there seeming to be rather disbelieving, or at least, doubtful, but Jounouchi waved it off. He stood, went around the table, pushed Kaibas chair back a bit and squeezed himself between Kaiba and the desk, sitting on the edge, then bending down, grabbing Kaiba by the collar and pulling him closer, he brought their faces together.  
"How about you tell me what's sex and what's closeness for you and we just go with the flow, huh?", he suggested, and Kaiba raised his hands hesitantly to lay them on Jounouchis forearms, who leaned in for a kiss.  
"What about kissing?", he then asked. "Depends", Kaiba answered.  
"On what?"  
"On the intension. On the connotation."  
"Ok. So hot making out is good, romantic snogging is a no-no. Right?"  
Kaiba shook his head. "You don't understand, it's not that I can't stand it, it's more that I don't -"  
"I know, I know. You don't feel any reason to do that. I just wanna see what I have to expect from you." He let his hands wander.  
"What about touching. Caressing?", he asked, stroking over Kaibas chest.  
"Don't really care."  
"Both ways?", Jounouchi asked interestedly.  
"It feels good sometimes when someone does it to me. But only..."  
"In certain areas", Jounouchi concluded. Kaiba nodded. It turned out it wasn't that difficult to understand after all.  
"What about some of this?", he asked, raising his knee and pressing it firmly to Kaibas groin. He moaned. "Definitely a yes", he said, clutching the armrests of his chair.  
"Ah. See. There we go", Jounouchi grinned, bending down, opening te belt with skilled fingers, button, fly, groping into the briefs, pulling the waistband down and then he slid off the table and let himself down on his ass between Kaibas knees, leaning onto his thigh with one hand, opened his mouth and let the fully erect penis glide into his mouth, all in the blink of an eye.  
Kaiba cried out, frozen momentarely, then clutched Jounouchis hair. "Are you crazy? You can at least warn me, you freaking blind-rapist!", he spit, but nonetheless let his head fall back onto the back rest, spreading his knees wide and softly kneeding Jounouchi's hair between his fingers.  
Jounouchi didn't answer, because you don't speak with your mouth full, he had been told, and grabbed Kaibas dick thoroughly with one hand around the base.  
"Fuck but that's good", Kaiba moaned, and Jounouchi grinned, trying to avoid the disgusting noises though sucking strongly, going up and down fast. He knew, if someone did that to him, it would probably take him only minutes to come, and the sight of Kaibas thrown back head, seemingly oblivious of everything else but a warm wet mouth around his cock, showed that this certainly applied to Kaiba, too.  
There wasn't much sound or action for the next three minutes other than sucking and barely surpressed moaning, until Kaibas hands tightened in Jounouchi's air and he said, not much more than a hoarse wisper: "You better stop now."  
Jounouchi looked up at Kaibas face grimmassed, leaving Jounouchi's hair in favor or the armrests again, which he could clutch as hard as he wanted, his knees were trembling, his stomache was trembling, it gave Jounouchi a feeling of absolute power. He finished him off with his hand, using the other to keep come from going everywhere, then hastily looked around for a handkerchief, cheekily opened the drawers and found one, wiping his hand and feeling very smug and content as he sat back on the table edge looking at Kaiba trying to gather himself, panting, still shivering slightly.  
"Now that was fun", he suggested, and Kaiba took a deep breath, rearranged his clothes quickly.  
"That feels surreal", he said after a moment. "It really could have been only the weirdest daydream, not seeing it makes it feel so unrealistic."  
"If you want to imagine it as a very bodily phantasy, fine, your thing, as long as I get to having fun, I don't mind what you tell yourself so you can sleep peacefully."  
Kaiba raised his head and turned his face toward him. Sitting here, Jounouchi wandered, he must be as clear as it would get to Kaiba, with his silhuette way higher than Kaibas point of view standing out directly in front of the light source.  
He stared. His lips parted, slightly. Then, hesitantly, he reached out and leaned forward, his hands finding Jounouchi's hips, fondling them, finding his belt buckle, but Jounouchi grasped his hands.  
"It's enough for today, I think.", he said smiling and let go of his grip again, Kaiba retreating his hands immediately.  
"I think that works just great", he then grinned and wormed his way out of the trap between Kaibas legs and the desk.  
"It might", Kaiba answered, still flushed.  
"I should leave you to your work now", he proposed and suddenly had to giggle sheepishly.  
"Good. Great", Kaiba agreed. "Thank you for your visit."  
"I might come over again, fetch myself some... stuff", he snickered, then, surpressing the urge to do some of the things that Kaiba didn't understand, a gesture of affection like caressing his cheek or patting of his shoulder for goodbye, he just said: " 'Twas nice, thank you, have a good day."  
"Yes. You too", he heard Kaiba say when he closed the door behind him.


	5. About Harumi and Aika and Nobuyuki and Osamu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As i got ONE bookmark now, I know there is ONE person reading this, which makes the effort worth keeping this updated :D  
> Thanks dear! I promise there is loads in store for you and I will update quickly :)

He came back a couple of days later, in the evening after school.  
Hayase opened the door for him, but instead of playing the butler for him, he merely smiled at him and turned around. He had his cloak half on and had oviously been getting dressed when the door rang.  
"I was just going to clock off for today, but come in, I will have the Kaibas know you came.  
Jounouchi stepped in and said thank you while closing the door and standing there waiting.  
He thought Hayase would go and fetch Kaiba, but instead, he got his cell phone out of his trouser pocket and speed dialed.  
"Kaiba-Sama, young mister Jounouchi is here. Shall I send him up?", he asked while wrapping his scarf around his neck, then held the phone between cheek and shoulder to pull his gloves on."  
"Yes, sure", he listened for a moment, then said: "Thank you. Same to you." Then he put the phone in his coat and smiled at Jounouchi honestly. ""He will be here in a second", he said. Jounouchi couldn't help but like this man quite a lot without even knowing anything about him.  
"Have a nice evening", Jounouchi said when Hayase opened the door. "Same to you", Hayase said again, so Jounouchi wandered if that was the exact thing Kaiba had said on the phone. They smiled at each other, then the door closed and he was left alone in the doorway, looking around curiously. Last time he didn't have time to really observe the house.  
It was a friendly, modern place with few furniture and few walls. It was already dark outside now, but he knew last time the place had been flooded with light from the big windows, especially on the upper floor.   
Suddenly, a screechy voice called his name, then a furry little thing came running down the stairs.  
Jounouchi stared taken aback for a second, then thought he should slap himself for being so stupid not to hve considered Mokuba lived here, too, and of cours he would be home in the evenings. Well that actually made his visit kind of... inappropriate?

But Mokuba didn't think so, when he flung his arms around Jounouchi and beamed up at him.  
"Do you want to talk to Seto?", he just asked, not wary at all, and let go of Jounouchi: "He was coming down for dinner anyway, will you eat with us?"  
Jounouchi opened his mouth, unsure what to do, but in that moment he catched a movement on the staircase and saw Kaiba, neatly combed and dressed, coming down the stairs slowly but confidently, with one hand on the rail guiding him discretely.  
"Jounouchi", he said, his blank but polite expression not giving anything away: "What a nice surprise." Jounouchi thought he should definitely get Kaiba's phone number so he wouldn't get in those awkward situations anymore. But strange enough, even Kaiba didn't seem to see it that way, as he, too, asked. "Will you stay for dinner?"  
"Uhm", Jounouchi started again, but then decided he would have to, because if he didn't, why would he have come in the first place? It would probably be somewhat off to say 'well no, I just came to fuck, do you think we can do that before dinner, won't be more then ten minutes, then you'll be rid of me'.  
Kaiba helped out by asking: "Or is there something you needed me to know?"  
Jounouchi stared at him unsure of what he was inplying, it did seem a bit suggestive, though.  
"No, not at all, I just wanted to... dunno, say hi and..."  
"Then come", Kaiba just commanded and Jounouchi followed him, amazed at how well Kaiba's oriented, only here and there briefly brushing his fingertips agains walls or furniture to reassure. Mokuba came along, keeping close to Jounouchi the whole time on the way to the open kitchen. Jounouchi asked himself if Kaiba had the same touching thing with Mokuba, although he had seen him touchin the boy on several ocasions, brushing his hair or even hugging him violently when they had been reunited after just another kidnapping. Did Mokuba know this about Kaiba? Did it bother him? Did he wish to have more physical contact? It did strike him, that Mokuba would usually refrained from touching his brother, though he had always thought that was a public thing between the two. He did not grab Kaiba's hand or cradle him in danger, he would just stand next to him politely most of the time. But then again, Mokuba was a very well-mannered kid after all. Still, Jounouchi thought there might be a connection with the whole touching Jounouchi instead, hugging him when possible and appropriate, always staying close. Maybe there was something that he knew his brother couldn't give him. At first, Jounouchi thought that was sad, but when he thought about it twice he found that wasn't so big of a deal, as Kaiba made sure Mokuba knew how much he loved him, and he did give him way more physical contact than any other person ever, padding his shoulders or his hair once in a while, which probably passed for 'excessice cuddling' in Kaiba-language.

Hayase had set up dinner, he thought when he entered the kitchen. What was his job, actually? Was he a personal assistent or more like a handyman?  
Mokuba hurried to put a third cover on the table and wave Jounouchi to sit down, smiling broadly the whole time.  
Kaiba sat opposite to him and folded his hands, ellbows on the table. "So. I should thank you I suppose. Mokuba appreciates your company a lot", he said matter of factly, and Jounouchi leaned back, looking down and the boy, who agreed loudly. "Yeah, absolutely!", he said, helping everyone to soup on their plates.  
"Glad to here that", Jounouchi said, smiling first at Kaiba, then looking at his plate, which held something like a stew with meat and vegetable in it.  
"Oh, it's a rabbit stew", Mokuba explained, laughing at Jounouchi's face, which clearly said 'Oh no, a bunny died for this?'  
"Oh, uh, nice", he answered and tried a spoon full. He decided it might be better not to think too much about what went into his mouth right now, so started to make conversation instead.  
"I 've hoped you'd appreciate, too", he told Kaiba, didn't care to keep the whole face 'looking at people while they talk to you' thing up now and instead merely stared straight ahead in the rough direction of Mokubas plate while he ate. He had one hand on the edge of the plate looking casually, but Jounouchi knew it was indispensable to orientate. Except for that, however, his actions looked effortless and elegant as ever. Jounouchi wandered if it had been difficult in the beginning. And if Hayase picked meals that were easy to eat for him, like nothing he would have to cut.  
"I do", Kaiba merely said, not giving away if that was something honest or just a way to end this topic politely. Jounouchi looked at him intensely, trying to find a hint that told him if Kaiba disliked him heaving him here interfering with the little peace the Kaiba brothers had together. Surely they didn't spend so much time together that it wouldn't matter.  
"It's so nice to have you around", Mokuba said in that moment as if he'd guessed his thoughts. "Seto and I always have dinner together lately and he is already completely confused with all the names of my friends. Didn't talk to him that much in years before!" He laughed.  
Kaiba frowned. "That's absolutely not true! First of all, we've had dinner together before and I already knew most of your friends, and second, I do keep track on all your school stories and I don't confuse Harumi and Aika and Nobuyuki and Osamu and all the others at all. I am very well aware, that, Harumi is the one who has the crush on Ryota and this leads to -"  
Mokuba interrupted him, his voice was soft.  
"I know, Seto", he said with a smile. "I know you listen. I was just joking, it's alright. I'm really glad you're not spending that much time in the headquarters anymore, so we can eat together."  
Kaiba curled his lips but then jerked his head just a tiny bit and said: "If you'd like to tell me everything anew, I might as well just forget that Aika and Osamu had this fight and you're angry at Harumi because of the theater play and the teacher said your -"  
"Stop it, Seto!", Mokuba whined now, slightly at a loss now.  
When Kaiba grinned, Jounouchi knew this had been a game, and Kaiba won, though Mokuba didn't seem to realize it the way Jounouchi did. He seemed to have some humor after all.  
As if asked for it, Mokuba entertained both of them during the whole dinner with another story of his friends in school, which had all the big essentials of a good drama complete with loyalty, mistrust, betrayal, a well delivered climax and a happy ending. Kaiba listened most of the time, but sometimes asked him to specify something or had him explain how that connected to another story he knew, that indicated he did know very well about all the alliances in the class. It was funny to see Kaiba understood, once again, very well how the social structure of that class worked and who connected to whom because of what reasons and why the kids reacted to what in a vertain way.  
Kaiba had never bothered making even the slightest social contact in their class, but now id showed he probably would have had no problem at all if he'd ever wanted, as he could be quite civil if he decided to, and had a profound understanding of complex human motives. He had always thought, Kaiba hadn't had any friends because no-one could stand him, but it turned out now that he would have been perfectly capable of making people like him, but seemingly had decided not to.  
"Why don't you have any friends? You're not a sociopath at all!", Jounouchi had finally given up holding it back.  
"What do you mean?", Kaiba just asked as if he didn't know precisely what he meant.  
"Well, I always thought you didn't like to be around people because you don't understand normal people, with, you know... feelings and everything, at all! But turns out you understand perfectly! So why didn't you ever talk to anyone in class?!"  
Kaiba snorted. "Of course I do. I could tell you the same things I know about Mokuba's class as well about our class. But that doesn't mean I care to waste my time with them."  
"Why not? Wouldn't have killed you. You'd have had someone to talk to in the breaks and shit."  
"I don't need someone to talk to in the breaks. I had work to to. Also, unlike you I don't feel uncomfortable at all just sitting and enjoying a moment of nothing to do.  
"Huh", Jounouchi said. "I see. But, it might have been practical to have someone give you his notes if you're not there and tell you when there's important dates like class trips and stuff."  
"I never came to class trips."  
"Yeah I know! Except for this one time when you kinda accidentally set your family trip to the same city as us, so Mokuba hang out with Yugi and me and Anzu and Tristan and Honda all the time and you had to -", Jounouchi started grinning about the memory.  
"Well, actually, that wasn't that much of a -", Kaiba started, but Mokuba cut him off.  
"Yes, just imagine, how big would have been the chance of that to happen, really?"  
Jounouchi looked at Mokuba, then at Kaiba, then back at Mokuba.  
"What, you set that up?", he asked disbelieving but slightly amused.  
"It could have been such a relaxing week", Kaiba sighed and turned his plate on the   
table as in thought.  
"It was so much fun!", Mokuba stated firmy as if this would convince Kaiba eventually and make him share his opinon. Funny enough, it seemed to have worked at least for Jounouchi. And Kaiba did, though grudgingly, at least tolerate Yugi's attempt of friendship, even with their rather strange background story.  
He wandered if Kaiba would be willing to talk about this Yugi crush thing he had had. He wandered how that had happened. And if it was over or Kaiba had just excepted he wouldn't be able to bring Yugi to like him, more than friendly that is.  
On the other hand, it was really difficult making someone like him in a romantic way when behaving like a cold hearted prick most of the time and showing his affection only by sticking around an unreasonable amount of time just to stare at people and make hurtful comments.  
So Kaiba ate qietly while Jounouchi and Mokuba fell into memories about this trip until everyone was finished and way after.  
"Mokuba", Kaiba finally said: "I hate to bring this to you, but it's getting late and I'm rather sure you haven't done your homework yet."  
"Oh, come on, Seto...!", whined, but Kaiba just gave him 'the look' which was quite impressive in his state, with crossed arms, and he finally got up and took his plate.  
"Leave it. I'll handle it", Kaiba said: "Don't worry about it. Just get get your work done so you canIt go to bed. I'll check on you later."  
Mokuba looked at his brother, then at the table, then bis his tongue and started, softly: "Just let me take -" but Kaiba shook his head. "Leave it."  
Mokuba finally sighed and turned to Jounouchi.  
"Thanks for coming over, Jounouchi, it was awesome! You should come more often!", he said and gave him a hug for goodbye.  
Jounouchi nodded. "I had a great evening, thank you", he said grinning broadly. "And I'll try to come over again. The baby bunny soup was pretty good after all."  
Kaiba snorted and Jounouchi's head spun around, unbelieving that he had made that sound, but he had, sat there with the corners of his mouth only slightly raised, and waited until they were done with this. Finally, Mokuba left in a hurry, probably hoping to get some more brother quality time before bedtime if he was fast enough with his work.  
Kaiba waited for a while to make sure he was really upstairs in his room with the door closed, before he said:  
"So, will you help me with the dishes?"  
Jounouchi raised his brows when Kaiba stood to take his own plate and go around the table to stack them on top of each other, then simply set them on the counter. He wandered what Kaiba would do if he was not here. Would he brush over the table with his hands to find out if there was anything else on the table? Glasses or bowls...? Would he one day brush his fingertips directly into a sharp knife?  
He took the pot with the rest of the soup from the table and put it on the oven, then hurriedly said: "Good, that's it, because he kind of didn't want to find out how he'd do it, even without any knifes on the table. It was still awkward after all."  
"So, why are you here? Not because you were hungry I take it", Kaiba was leaning against the counter with his arms crossed when he turned back to him.  
"Actually, I was", Jounouchi answered, letting the grin break open in his face: "But not for food."  
Kaiba rolled his eye. "Please tell me you're not going to do that all the time", he said.  
"What?"  
"Make bad jokes about it to make everything less awkward and in the process making it even more awkward."  
"It's not awkward. And this was not a bad joke. It was funny!"  
"God. Well. Whatever", Kaiba said. His humour seemed to have vanished.  
"Good, no more jokes. Can I hae my dessert now?"  
"No more food analogies, either."  
"Jeeeeeez...", Jounouchi groaned. This was not going to be easy. Not that he had expected. But in comparison to the dinner this was like writing a math test with the worst of hangovers.  
"Kaiba sighed. Then he gracefully pushed off the counter and strode over. Jounouchi stared at him warily, not sure if this was good or bad. But then Kaiba was right before him and he raised both hands, they first brushed over his shoulders, orientating, then he seemed more sure of himself, perfectly sure actually – he held Jounouchi's face firmly and leaned down, kissed him hard.  
"Why are you still here and not in my bedroom?", he asked when he broke of. It sounded like a command and strangely that was like an overdose of viagra to him, he was painfully hard in two seconds. The only thing he wanted more than Kaiba against the counter right now was to push him on a chair and sit on his dick, but he merely grabbed him and pulled him closer, brought their hips together so Kaiba could feel what this did to him:  
"Where do I have to go?", he just asked, Kaiba grinned, it was a hungry grin, but also very content, pleased. He seamed to like how he could make Jounouchi jump on his command.  
Kaiba grabbed his butt tight, and yes, there was a lot of strengh in this skinny arms, and pressed their hips together, his one hand held him so firmly, it pulled him nearly off the ground trying to get his hip up higher to meet his without having to bend his knees. His fingers had slipped in the middle of Jounouchi's butt, pressing into his lower crack through the rough cloth of the jeans, making Jounouchi wander if he could actually manage to finger-fuck him without even getting his pants off.  
"Up. Now", Kaiba ordered, then broke off and pulled Jounouchi with him by the arm, leaving the kitchen, trailing the walls with his free hand. He was fucking fast for a blind guy and orientated damn well, only he didn't seem to think about Jounouchi in the process, which made him nearly collide with the doorframe when leaving the kitchen, but he managed. When he arrived the stairs, Kaiba changed his arm in the other hand to be able to trail the handrail, and again, he went so fast Jounouchi had nearly a problem keeping up with him, which wasn't easier with a horny madman pulling at him. They better didn't run into Mokuba, Jounouchi thought when he catched a glimpse at Kaiba's front, and felt a hard jerk in his arm, as Kaiba didn't walk down the corridor as Jounouchi had intended to, but went up another stair. Finally, on the upper end of the stairs, he released his grip.  
"Take off your shoes", he ordered, and had his shoes already half toed off. Jounouchi bent over to do so, nearly toppling over his own toes from the stress of trying to do it way faster than he was physically able to, but then got it done. "Ok, I think", he started, but Kaiba just grabbed him again, this time he had catched the upper arm but didn't care, and dragged him further, down the corridor, one hand trailing the wall, counting the doorframes, then stopped at the third, yanked it open, wrenched him inside and closed the door, then turned the key neatly.  
Jounouchi had just looked up to let his gaze wander the room, but didn't get any chance to do it, because Kaiba had him all but smashed into the wall next to the door, his hands on Jounouchi's belt, his face pressing into the crook of his neck, nose and teeth scrubbing his flesh.  
"Fuck!", Jounouchi half cried out. Kaiba didn't react at all.  
"Kaiba, fuck, slow down, or you'll make me come right now!" At this, Kaiba did finally show some reaction. His hands stopped fidgeting with the zipper and he slowly raised his head a bit, but only until he could whisper into his ear.  
"You better get yourself under control, because I have plans for you."  
"Stop it, I said, just stop it for a second, I can't...!", Jounouchi swore, he grabbed Kaiba's hands and held them away from him where they couldn't do any more, well, damage.  
"I will keep up with all of your plans, but I need ten secons to pull myself together, ok?", he gasped. Kaiba stood there, waiting. Jounouchi let his gaze fall away from him to cool down his brain, but with Kaiba being huge in front of him he couldn't see anything in the room.  
"Time's up", Kaiba suddenly said, grabbed him by the collar and yanked him forward. He seemed to be at least a bit more gentle now when he guided him to the bed and pulled up Jounouchi's t-shirt over his head, before pushing him down backwards. Jounouchi knew better than to fight about who was up right now, he just let himself fall back and allowed Kaiba to crawl over him on all fours, carefully now, not to hurt him by accidentally putting a knee on his hand or something similar.  
He allowed him to let the hands grope his torso, his neck, shoulders, breast, waist, then lower, returning to the zipper, opening it. He pulled the pants down with the boxers in one stride, Jounouchi helped him by pushing up his hip, then toeing the legs of his jeans of.  
"Oh god...", Kaiba moaned, this time it was him staying still vor a moment, trying to compose himself. It wasn't hard to tell Kaiba wanted his penis up his ass really bad right now.  
Jounouchi used the opportunity to look up. Kaiba was completely dressed, his eye was closed, the bangs hang down and revealed the huge plaster over his other eye that nearly covered all of his very flushed cheek, too.  
"You're wearing too much, Kaiba", Jounouchi indicated, and started to undo the buttons of his dressshirt carefully. He even undid the buttons on the cuffs, then tugged on the shirt and said: "Get it off!"  
He hadn't been able to with Kaiba leaning on his hands, but surprisingly Kaiba did just what he was told, straightened his body and let the open shirt slide from his body (it looked just fabulous), let Jounouchi brush it off them and then bent back over, deeper this time, closer, softly biting Jounouchi's neck, his hands wandering down his sides.  
Jounouchi thought it might make everything easier if Kaiba wasn't wearing any pants, do he opened them, fumbling with the button and zipper a but clumsily as he couldn't see and not really reach that far, also those trousers were already tight when there wasn't a huge steal pipe pressing up against the waistband. When he finally did it, Kaiba groaned and his hips jerked against his hand involuntarily, but Jounouchi did him the favor and pressed back, slid a bit lower on the bed to proper reach and wrap his hand around the leaking prick.  
"Wait, let me -", Kaiba croaked, his hands left Jounouchi's sides and he temporarily leaned on them again, his fists tight in the covers, then he leaned over, stretching, laying his full body on top of Jounouchi in the process, his erection to Jounouchi's stomach. He opened a drawer and rummaged around, then got back to his knees over Jounouchi, tube in hand.  
Jounouchi looked up. Kaiba was extremely, painfully gorgeous, as in, even beautiful, kneeling over him, giving him a nice view from this perspective – hard, steep erection, very bright, smooth, marble like skin over a very lean but not skinny body, the shadow of abs, stringy arms, long neck, hair a bit disheveled by now, thank god, red hot cheeks on his white face, lips moist and reddish from the biting. Jounouchi grabbed his erection again, this time right in front of him and comfortably in reach. He seized tightly this time and Kaiba doubled over, back to leaning on one hand next to Jounouchi's head.  
"Damn!", he exclaimed breathlessly: "Careful there!"  
Jounouchi lightened his grip a tiny bit, then said: "Give me this!", and Kaiba merely handed him the tube. Jounouchi took plenty, warmed it between his hands, then went back to wrapping Kaiba's penis with the wet palm. When Kaiba bit his lip and moaned, he bent his knees and pushed Kaiba's hip back a tiny bit, until he was able to lean his ass on Jounouchi' thighs. "Steady there", he grinned while his hand moved slowly up and down.  
"Give me your hand?", this time he asked, as he had a feeling he might spoil this thing by giving Kaiba the feeling to take over the lead again, which wasn't at all what he wanted, but merely tried to make this smooth and easy for them. Kaiba was still wearing his trousers and it wasn't looking like he'd shed it anytime soon. But neither of them cared. When Kaiba reached out with his hand, Jounouchi took it in his free one and greased his fingers with the lube on his own hand. He twitched first, like he usually did when touched, especially on the hands, then let it happen. It seemed to feel good even, as his moan grew lower but more satisfied, more relishing, bur then he took the hand away and bent down, his fingers brushed Jounouchi's erection, then his balls on the way, then his anus, he didn't care to reassure before pushing a finger inside Jounouchi, and grinned deeply pleased when Jounouchi groaned loudly. If he really hadn't much experience with sex, he was a fast learner, indeed.


	6. About the boundaries

"Hey, we could play a match", Jounouchi suggested, hanging upside down on the sofa.  
"Of what?", Kaiba asked.  
"Well, Duel Mosters, of course!", he answered crossly, as if he had no idea what other games there were in the world and how could Kaiba only assume he would be interested in those.  
"And how exactly would you picture me do that?", Kaiba asked, now he was snappish. Jounouchi was not in the mood for letting him wallow in his self-pity today.  
"I would just tell you my every move. Let's face it, every duelist makes a big fuzz about what they do or did or plan to do anyways! And as I was told, you played blind chess as a kid, so I'm damn sure you would have no problem remembering all the cards on the field.  
"And how shall I know which card I draw?", he asked, sneering. Jounouchi stopped short, mumbling hesitantly. "Ok, that's a thing. I couldn't tell you, right? Maybe you could mark them, what about that? Like, with perfume, like Mai." he snickered. Kaiba rolled his eye.  
"Unlike the two of you I don't have a nose like a dog. I would have to sniff at every card for minutes probably. Also, I would have to put so much perfume on them none of us would bear being in the room for long."  
Jounouchi groaned. Kaiba had one of the 'I want to deny there is an easy way through my life'-moments.  
"What about this blind-people-dot-things?"  
"I don't read braille", Kaiba said dryly.  
"You are a fucking genious, it would cost you an afternoon to learn it! And it comes in handy with other shit, too."  
Kaiba's expression was absolutely empty of any humor by now. "I won't!", he snapped, then a short break, then: "I don't want... People would...!"  
"What, they would see you are blind?" Jounouchi assisted helpfully, knowing fully well it would piss Kaiba off.  
"Yes!", he said, furious now. He glared daggers, but Jounouchi knew he couldn't see him lying on the sofa in the shadow, so he stared more at his legs than his face, assuming he was using the furniture like a normal person.  
"This is bullshit! You're eye is taped, your other eye doesn't really focus. Everybody knows when they look you in the eye!", he explained mercilessly: "Why do you even care concealing it?"  
"Then they shall not fucking look!", Kaiba sweared, hissing like a wild cat now.  
Jounouchi snorted bitterly. "What are you afraid of? That they might take you for what you are? A person that can't see much? That they might understand your difficulties, or even offer you help if you need it? Would that be so terrible?"  
Kaiba stood suddenly, shaking, and the only reason, Jounouchi knew, that he wasn't on Jounouchis collar yet, was that there was a glass table between them that Kaiba did feel kind of wary about and wouldn't ever approach carelessly, not feeling very comfortable around glass furniture anymore, at least not, if there was a possibility to break it accidently and getting himself some more of what he had gotten last time.  
"Leave", Kaiba said, voice low now, shoulders drown, face down, his fists tight – he might implode or explode at any moment, Jounouchi knew, but strangely he was too furious himself to care. He didn't want to hurt Kaiba, really, but his attitude really annoyd him. He knew, it was not really self-pity. It was mistrust. He mistrusted all humankind, he seemed to believe deeply, that everyone had lost their interest or respect now that he was blind and malformed, or whatever his crazy brain made him think of himself.  
"Stop this, Kaiba! Stop it now, you have been doing that way too long! You are not a cripple. You are not an inconvenience to look at! And you are not a person to pity, because every fucking person who ever met you instantly knew you could achieve twice as much as them in half the time with your hands bound! And some might hate you for that. But they will not disrespect you for what you are now!" He had finally sat up on the couch and come to his feet, when he realized he was trembling himself from the fury, Kaiba glared at him so hatefully it would make whipped cream become pure acid in seconds.  
"When will you finally understand that the world isn't like that! That there is no-one waiting behind every corner to catch you at a weak moment and take you down. That the people out there are mostly admiring you more then envying you! That they won't jump for every mistake you make and weakness you show. Why do you care so much what they think anyways? Most people have better things to do than watch your every step just to be there to laugh at you when you stumble!"  
He drew a deep breath, as it felt as if he had said, nearly shouted all this out without even breathing once in between the words.  
Kaiba stood, stock still exept for his trembling, facing the carpet, then said again, it was more like screeching actually, his hand shooting out to indicate the door, although his whole arm was shakind violently: "Leave.", then loud, really loud: "Out! Now!"  
Jounouchi felt like jumping over the table and punching him, shaking him, but he couldn't do that, and he didn't know what to say, and suddenly he had the feeling he had gone to far, and Kaiba was really on the edge of destroying something, so all he could do as his heart beat accellerated the last phase from pounding hard to greased lightning was grab his hoodie over the arm rest and hurry out. He looked back one last time when he was in the corridor, but Kaiba still stood there facing the carpet, trembling, fuming.  
Shit. Shit. He would definitely have to call sometime later. And Kaiba would probably make him pay for that.

 

He counted it as a good thing, even if that sounded a bit mean, that Kaiba hadn't cared to change the interface of this phone up until now, so the only things he could do with it were taking calls, calling people and sending text messages, as he had been able to remember the exact position of all names of people in his contacts, and hat re-learned to use the cell keyboard in practically no time. He was a prodigy, after all.  
So as he had no possibility of knowing from whom the call came, Jounouchi knew he would take it, even if there was a good possibility it was him, because it could as well be Mokuba, in trouble, kidnapped, or something else Kaiba's poisonous, paranoid mind would think plausible.  
"Hey", Jounouchi said after the other had given him the standard emotionless "Kaiba"-introduction.  
"What the fuck do you want?", he snapped.  
Jounouchi sighed and rolled his eyes. He was already annoyed again, but he was also worried and guilty enough not to give it up just yet.  
"Just wanted to see how you're, well, doing, and say, you know, sorry, is all", he mumbled.  
He half expected Kaiba to pull the "oh, I didn't understand that, say it again" at him, but he didn't. He kept silent for a while, then said, calmly: "You know I have warned you in the beginning, I have told you, you wouldn't want to put up with me, and now, well it shows – I told you it wasn't worth the effort -", Jounouchi interrupted him.  
"No!", he said quickly, urgently: "That's not true at all! Just – yes, I don't understand you sometimes, and I get frustrated, and I say stupid things that I regret afterwords, but... I wanted to appologize, I thought you maybe wanted me to come over and we talk about it? You know, the whole reconciliation-couple-shit? And some reconciliation-sex maybe?", he added hopefully, though only to lighten up the talk a bit and show Kaiba that he wasn't going to make a drama out of this and he wasn't into the whole "let's talk about our feelings"-thing any more than Kaiba was.  
"Ha-ha" Kaiba answered sarcastically and Jounouchi felt it would be alright, appeased a bit.  
"No, really", he said quietly. "I said some horrible things earlier and meant only half of it and I wasn't planning on hurting you, really, so I figured I could just drop by and make up to leaving you alone with all the crap I said."  
"Hm", Kaiba said. "Not today."  
Jounouchi felt his stomach sting a litte and stared at it to make it shut up.  
"But you will not skin me when you see me next time, right?", he asked worriedly.  
"No", Kaiba said, though without any trace of humor. "Not anymore by tomorrow anyway. It's just, Mokuba arrived and he talked me into watching a movie. Is all."  
"Oh", Jounouchi answered, and felt better, smiling again. "You know I think it's alright to, maybe punch me next time I... do something like... that."  
"I figured", Kaiba said sounding fully honest: "I would have if I'd known where to punch at."  
Jounouchi snorted and this time, knew it would really be just fine.  
"Bye then."  
"Yeah... bye", he answered, hesitating for a second, not sure to add some last words about how he didn't mean that at all, which was totally a lie, but Kaiba had already hung up the phone.

After a while, he got more accostumed of there situations, he got more secure at them, too, as he found they were always proceeding at more or less the same pace. He even got quite good at guessing already before when something was going to piss Kaiba off, sometimes even able to remove the obstacle before Kaiba could get himself furious over it.  
Mostly it was small things. Him not finding something, although sure he had put it in that place, not being able to read a mail or tell his sort of tea apart in the chaotic tea-drawer. He would get furious at how his fingernails would grow to long but he didn't confide himself in cutting them alone without making them look stupid. It was absolutely trivial shit. Kaiba knew fully well, if he were only able to ignore his fingernails just one more day, he could make his driver drop him at a coiffeur the next day and get a quick manicure, or he could just ask Hayase to do it, who was not ever declined to give any help that was needed, which either way would cost him five minutes at highest, but the thought of not being capable of attending those things himself made him so furious, he would rather cut his fingers off trying anyways. He had seen Kaiba more than once crinching but keeping silent when it had been, again, some disgusting herbal tea instead of the black one he prefered, and then drink it down with the brave, stubborn expression of a tortured but upstanding soldier.  
So Jounouchi had made it a habit to keep the tea-drawer clean and make Kaiba's tea if possible (just asking him if he'd care for some tea randomly to forestall if he ever did want one), setting his things up when he saw Kaiba misplacing something (although he was never so sure of that one, maybe it would cause Kaiba to get careless, as he didn't pay as much attention to where he put his stuff when arriving home, but then on the other hand, Jounouchi wasn't around most of the time anyways), or ramdomly just doing things unasked, ike clearing the table or opening doors (which Kaiba usually noticed and commented on snarkily).  
He was, on the other hand, impressed at how fast Kaiba had learned to handle things. He soon didn't need any help in the house other than details from Mokuba, managed showering, dressing, cleaning, cooking and a lot of his work pretty much looking effortless.  
He did, however, not leave the house often. He didn't resume school, as Jounouchi had guessed, and didn't go to his headquarter office. He didn't go out for shopping, coffee, tournaments, anything really then meetings he couldn't attend over video conference, and Jounouchi knew it was highly stressful for him sitting in a room with loads of people who looked at hi expectantly, when he couldn't see them at all, which seemed to stir his mistrust no matter who or where he was, always expecting an assault from a business-patner or an axt-murderer at the very next second.  
On sunny days with strong light-dark-contrasts, Mokuba would convince him to go to the park, but it took him half an hour to be exhausted with the task of orientation while trying to hide his face.

None of that seemed to matter in bed, however. When Mokuba wasn't around, Kaiba would tackle him at practically every possible place or piece of furniture in the mansion, obviously orientating easily in there as long as it didn't involve the glass tables which he was to stubborn and proud to get rid of.  
They would do it lying, standing, sitting, hanging, up to the wall, up to the table, up to the bedpost, both ways, depending on the mood, and strangely after the first few occasions Kaiba had seemed to completely let down his mistrust concerning Jounouchi, just assuming Jounouchi obviously really didn't mind his sight or looks, though probably thinking him stupid for that, and gaining back his cold, proud confidence, which Jounouchi found attractive in a worrysome, twisted way, but also just made him happy and proud of his couragous, tough new sort-of-friend.

There were occasions, anyways, that were different. Usually facing one of his boundaries, Kaiba would get mad and stubborn, but give it up rather quickly if it wasn't important to be done, sulking, or allow himself to be helped eventually. But once in a while it would escalate, mostly when it concerned something important, like the urgent need to find some information but not being able to google it or look it up on his PC or in the records, or the need to read an important mail, with no-one there to read if loud out for him. And sometimes something completely unworthy would make him snap completely. Jounouchi had seen him throwing a fit, in the end nearly crying from surpressed, desperate self-furiosity, because he failed at replacing a ripped shoelace, although his delicate, skilled fingers would have managed without trouble usually, and Jounouchi telling him that even seeing people sometimes threw a fit when doing it because it was so annoyingly difficult only seemed to make Kaiba even more furious at himself. It had taken probably fifteen minutes to get him from shouting in fullgrown frustration, tearing his hair, facing the ceiling as if waiting for help from up above, to burying his head in his hands, trembling in a heartbreaking kind of self-loathing, then finally only sit there, leaned back, with the heels of his hands pressed to his eyesockets and calming himself down, until in the end taking a deep breath, brushing the shoe off his lap and pretending it had never happened.  
It did pain Jounouchi to see this sometimes, but it was not as if he was able to help with that anyway, and also he was rather sure that in a way most of this things were Kaiba's own fault, as he stobbornly refused to learn, change or acknowledge anything that would make him or others have to accept the fact that his condition wasn't going to change anytime soon, which would enable him to at least take precautions like changing his interfaces to be audio-controlled or learning braille or marking things he would have to be able to tell apart. Or at least simply leave unimportant stuff for other people to do later.

One day, he dropped Kaiba off his mansion after he had taken him for a glass of beer (or wine, for Kaiba), to a bar, wanted to escort him inside, but was told off even before leaving the car, and saw Kaiba fumble with the keys for at least three minutes in the cold, but at the end he got inside safely. Only that half an hour later he had Kaiba call him, sounding devastated, asking him to come over, which he didn't think about twice as he could tell from the trembling voice that this was really important, and then, when he arrived, Kaiba opened the door to him looking dishevelt to say the least, desperate and at an utter loss to be more honest. Turned out he had arrived to find Mokuba nowhere in the house, and after wandering the whole thing, which was huge, he'd tried to call him but had carelessly dropped his phone somewhere when it had dawned to him something might have happened, and didn't know Mokubas number by memory, and it had taken him another 20 minutes to find the phone, so after trying to call Mokuba who wouldn't pick the phone, he had tried Jounouchi at the end, which now put both of them here.  
What he saw in that moment in Kaiba's face, apart from the worry and the desperation and helplessness, was pure and utter self hatred. He knew as he looked at him, crouched at the dresser in the doorway, his head buried in his face, that Kaiba hated himself for being too proud to put Mokuba's number on speed dial, too proud to have his phone and other important items marked with an audio signal, too proud to have someone tending the house stuff, and Jounouchi knew, if something had happened, Kaiba would not ever, ever forgive himself for this.  
"Hey, you're answering machine is blinking", Jounouchi said while they stood in the doorway, Jounouchi tiping 911 on his phone, and leaned forward to press the button, and Kaba froze when Mokuba's voice came from it, electronically distorted: "Hey, Seto, I figured you're gonna be out late, so I thought it's gonna be ok if I stay at Osamu's place, his mum invited me for dinner and said I could sleep over, so that sounded fun. Don't worry, I'll be in bed on time."  
The tape cracked, stopping, in the same moment when the woman on his phone took the call and said "Emergency hotline, what can I do for you"?  
Jounouchi needed at least ten seconds, until he said: "Already sorted out, ma'am, sorry for the inconvenience." As he let the phone sink, he doubled over, grabbing Kaiba's shoulder as he wasn't sure if he was going to keel over, or at least slide from the dresser like a wet, heavy cloth.  
"My, my", he said after a deep breath, looking down at Kaiba who still sat there looking like he'd faint, his knuckles wide on his hands gripped into the edges of the commode. He felt the usual reaction of 'someone needs a hug here', but knew all too well this wouldn't help, and it might even throw him off further.  
"Come", he then just said, "Let's have tea", and he heard Kaiba following him into the kitchen like a shadow.  
When he saw him next, two or three days after that, he had at least replaced his phone with one of those brandnew smartphones talking to you even from ten meters away.

Over time, he got to a more profund understanding about what Kaiba had warned him about. It was true, that his behaviour sometimes was really kind of abnormal and certainly unclear, leaving him in an absolute confusion about what the hell he was even thinking. But he registered, as he knew about this and tried to avoid things, it didn't happen to him nearly as much as to others.  
He understood that a physical contact in the sense of just being touched technically by another human didn't really bother Kaiba at all, though he did not particularly like it, especially from strangers, as he had told Jounouchi that one afternoon in his homeoffice. But what he had forgotten to mention was that the the psychological part of the touching, the reason why someone did it, was highly irritating to him. He wouldn't mind for example making contact when being handed something, or when Jounouchi held his hand or arm to guide him somewhere or help him with something, once he had approved the help, that was. He did also not seem to be very much worried about any kind of touching while having sex, even stroking, caressing, hugging was ok. Though Jounouchi was sure he didn't experience it the way others did, he seemed to understand that this was part of the act itself, and surely having sex requiered a high measure of being bodily close in whatever manner it was done.  
But some other gestures would completely freak him out, though he did try to keep his composure at all times. A pat on his shoulder, or another gesture meant to be reassuring or affectionate, like touching his hair or face, would leave him puzzled, and it became clear to Jounouchi after some of those occasions, that it wasn't that he didn't like the touch, but rather the fact that he didn't understand why people would do that to him, which left him wondering, and somehow gave him the feeling he would have to return something in order not to appear weak, similar to being insulted, where you had to react the right way to not make it seem like you were offended by it. Only that he didn't speak the language of caress-insults so he didn't know which the right reaction would be, and that left him frustrated.  
He had tried to explain to Kaiba that touching wasn't at all meant to be insulting most of the time, and Kaiba had told him to stop this ridiculous talk now and that the didn't need a therapist and he did know that himself fully well, but Joy was sure that, while we seemed to know this, he didn't exactly believe it really, as getting touched could piss him off for hours. Like the one time this boy on the street ran up to them, beaming with glee, and asked Kaiba for an autograph, and when he had put his signature on some paper the boy had handed him (Kaiba had become extremely good at estimating were to expect something handed to him), and giving it back grumpily, the boy had clutched his hand in both of his, shaking it and thanking him full of excitement, Kaiba had pulled his hand back as if burnt, and stared down to the shadow of the kid in utter shock and disgust, as if he had just survived and attempt at murder. When Jounouchi had rescued the situation by just saying "Wow, thank you, young man!", and pushing Kaiba to go on with a hand on the small of his back, his muscled were clenched so tightly his every step looked awkward, and Jounouchi had let go of him as soon as he was sure he'd follow.

 

They were lying in bed, it was cold outside and cold was even creeping inside through the huge windows of the "master's bedroom". He felt like cuddling Kaiba to steal like some of his warmth but knew better than to do that when there was not at least one boner involved.  
"I'm getting chilly", he said, sulking.  
Kaiba didn't bother to raise his head. "No-one invited you to stay at a place you don't enjoy", he mumbled and Jounouchi snorted. "Thanks jerk!", he pouted, then bit his tongue to avoid saying 'Hey, remember that one time in the tent in the airplane on that mountain, that was really cosy up there'. It would make Kaiba throw him out surely, and maybe for good.  
"Actually, it is kind of getting chilly", Kaiba suddenly admitted. He rubbed his arms under the cover and hid his head deaper in the covers.  
"You're not going to make me go home now really, do you?", Jounouchi asked tentatively. You never knew with Kaiba. Although they had been doing the kind-of-friends-thing for a while now, Kaiba could still be very determined about his rules, and he was usually not having Jounouchi over for the night. Only this time it had gotten kind of late and they had been horny and it had taken so long for Mokuba to go to bed, so when they finally had been able to get rid of their bodily fluids it had been midnight, and they were both tired.  
"No. Probably not", Kaiba answered, annoyed.  
"Come on, it wouldn't be so bad, would it? It's for the greater good and everything!", he said, still carefull, his voice more soft than demanding.  
"Get yourself another blanket if you're cold", Kaiba snarled.  
"I don't want another blanket, it wouldn't be so... satisfying!"  
Kaiba kept quiet for a while, then finally said: "I told you this was going to happen."  
"What?", now Jounouchi snapped, though he had tried not to, and knew it could cause him to have to walk home through half the city in the middle of the night.  
"The whole cuddling sweet-romantic couple rubbing up thing. I told you at some point you would want that, and be offended that I don't."  
"I'm not offended that you don't. I know that you don't, and it's fine. It's just that I'd like to, and you said it wouldn't really bother you, so why don't you just let me?"  
Kaiba groaned now. "It's incomfortable!", he snapped. "I can't move!"  
"I will let you move. I will make you comfortable. Just want some of your body heat, is all. I won't annoy you or pet you or anything, I swear."  
Kaiba gritted his teeth, then finally, and Jounouchi was absolutely sure that this was not about being comfortable, but about rules and about winning and all, he said: "Fine. Get your ass over here then. And don't. Say. A word."  
Jounouchi had half expected this to lead to a terrible ending, and was now nearly confused at how easily Kaiba had given up. He knew better than to say anything though, even thank you, or 'really?' or something like that, he simply lifted the duvet, crawled closer to Kaiba and stretched a hand out to him warningly before edging his body close. He held his breath but Kaiba didn't do anything. He carefully shoved his head into the hook of Kaiba's shoulder. Kaiba didn't react. He put an arm around him losely, Kaiba didn't react. He shoved his upper leg between Kaiba's to get their breasts and hips closer together, Kaiba didn't react. Then he let a breath out. It was wonderful. Warm and cosy and nice smelling. He let his hand wander up until it rested in Kaiba's neck, fingers brushing his bottom hair.  
"Now you're getting cheeky, don't you think?", Kaiba snapped. Jounouchi stopped short, then, hastily, pulled his hand down and didn't move anymore, tensely waiting for about a minute, but then, finally, Kaiba put his upper arm over this back and he knew it was alright. He closed his eyes. So this was what victory smelled like. Mostly like shampoo and sweat.


	7. About pride and honour

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, as these chapters are rather short I'll give you two of them at the same time, and I do hope you enjoy an easy ride once in a while.

"So. Spit it out", Kaiba demanded as soon as Mokuba had left the kitchen.  
"What?", Jounouchi asked, absentmindedly looking out of the window.  
"What is it I have done to you this time?"  
Jounouchi snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes catching focus, then he looked at Kaiba, who stared back, ill-humoured. He had gotten a "new eye" a couple days ago and it was so well made and matched his old, lost one so well, moving and looking so perfectly (Kaiba had payed his bio-engineers a fortune for investigating and producing this), it still gave him shivers sometimes. With Kaiba getting better and better with orientation and every day life managing, sometimes he forgot that Kaiba couldn't see much, and felt terrible when came to remember by some incident.  
"What are you talking 'bout?", Jounouchi asked confused, nearly annoyed.  
"You have been silent all dinner, and you're never silent."  
"That's totally not true! I -"  
"Will you tell me or not?", Kaiba demanded. Something in his voice told Jounouchi that he took his attitude personally, and it occured to him, though he felt stupid to even consider this, that thinking that Jounouchi was mad at him and not knowing what about worried Kaiba.  
"Calm down, man", he said, sighing. "Not everything that pisses me off is about you, you know."  
Kaiba snorted. "Oh, and here I sit, selfishly assuming that I was the only unpleasantry in your life."  
"Oh shut up", Jounouchi snapped, and then, crossly but guiltily added: "It's not about you. You didn't do anything wrong, don't worry."  
Kaiba pouted, then sighed. "So, what is it? Is it about school or did your little kindergarden finally get sulky about your spending time with the big bad wolf?", he asked.  
It surprised Jounouchi how well Kaiba knew him by now. He hesitated, estimating how Kaiba would react, then decided he probably was fine about that, as he already saw himself as the bad wolf in this fairytale.  
"Yeah well...", he began quietly: "It's not about being a big bad wolf or something, I mean, they don't exactly understand why I would like to be around you. But they don't actually mind that much, either, as long as they don't have to, too. Haha." His snicker sounded as unamused as it could get.  
"Then what", Kaiba kept buggering him, and Jounouchi thought about cutting this conversation now while he still could, but would probably not be able get away with it anyway.  
"This is not about you at all, really. You don't have to bother", he tried, but Kaiba cut him off.  
"This leaves you sulking and I don't feel like putting up with you like that, so this sure is about me", he indicated. It occured to Jounouchi how very close this had been to 'this makes you unhappy, so this sure is my business'. It made him smile.  
"It's Honda. He said something that pissed me off, so I told him to shut up, and we got into an argument. It was really nasty." He sighed.  
"So. He said something about me", Kaiba concluded. It was always strange to see how easily Kaiba deduced stuff although he claimed not to care about humans at all, and partly Jounouchi even believed him.  
Joys hesitated: "Yeaaah... Sort of", he finally confessed.  
"What was it?"  
"Stop buggering me. I won't tell you", he said, and when he saw Kaiba's face going dark, he added: "Nothing along the line you are thinking right now, though. Not like, your condition, or your looks, or whatever. Because you know pretty damn well everyone out there thinks you're a freaking hot-ass motherfucker, even you yourself!"  
"Well, that's not true", Kaiba interfered, but Jounouchi shook bis head: "Oh yes it damn sure is, and if you don't stop trying to coax me into telling you how gorgeous you are some more, I will stop talking to you, alright?"  
Kaiba smirked.  
"So, he insulted me and you fought for my honor and pride. My, my, I'm touched", he joked.  
"Don't be silly. It was only because neither of them had seen me, like, in private, for quite a while, like over Christmas for example -"  
"I haven't seen you over Christmas, either", Kaiba protested with his arms crossed. It nearly looked as if he was ready to start an argument about who had more rights to Jounouchi's time, and that was both hilarious and ridiculous.  
"I told you it was not about you stealing me from them. Or anything. It's just that, well, they want me to be happy, is all!"  
"And what was the deal then?"  
"Well, I told them I was very happy and you were a really great friend to have and that you would do a lot of things for me, because you care about me."  
"Oh no. What things? Like what things, Jounouchi?", Kaiba asked, definitely smelling the rat.  
"Uhm... like... for example...", Jounouchi had to take a deep breath to say it, and even then it wasn't easy at all, his voice tentative and quizzical: "hosting my birthdayparty, as I can't do it at my dad's place?"  
Kaiba seemed to be stuck in time for a couple of seconds, until he only said: "Oh no. Really?", looking tormented and annoyed.  
"Uhm... I... What do you say?", Jounouchi asked, crossing his fingers under the table just by habit.  
"About loads of crazy, loud, uneducated, untrained kids coming into my house, probably destroying it in the process only so you can keep up appearances with your stupid little kindergarden?"  
Jounouchi flinched slightly, but kept silent until having the courage to simply say: "Yes?"  
Kaiba let his forehead sink in his hand with the ellbow supported on the table and sighed: "Well I guess I do owe you one after all."


	8. About the advantages

Kaiba had made sure to let Jounouchi know that he would only attend this for an hour at best and even this only because it was Jounouchi's birthday and he had said 'please' so often and so heartwarminly, like a sweet little trained puppy, he had said, you just couldn't deny them anything after they had performed all their tricks so well. He had also made sure to remind Jounouchi of how absolutely indifferent he was about those people and how he should better not expect any kind of conversation between them, because he really couldn't care less if they were dead or alive or in his mansion or elsewhere.  
Jounouchi understood he had been not quite honest about that, when he saw him coming out of the bathroom with a considerable amount of make-up covering up his scars around the eyes, though he had the other small white scars from all the shards in his face and neck left unattended to. Hayase had done a good job with the make-up, though. It was barely not visible, even in light, and definitely not in the shadow of Kaiba's now always even longer bangs.  
"You don't have to do this, you know", Jounouchi said when he saw him, but was very pleased anyways, as Kaiba had also put on some nice but comparably reserved clothes, black trousers and dressshirt, seemingly not trying to give the big show-off tonight.  
Kaiba only looked at him briefly, then walked by. "Already hear them screeching", he mumled ill-tempered and went down the stairs, one hand on the railing as always, striding elegantly and self-assured as ever.  
He was right, it turned out, as the doorbell rang a second later.  
Jounouchi followed him down to the door quickly, as he had to take over after Kaiba had only opened the door, said "Come in", and turned around to leave without even caring who it was or if they'd close the door behind them.  
"Hey, Kaiba-Kun", Yugi said politely, but he was already half gone, and when he spotted Jounouchi behind him, he beamed at him and have him a huge hug, and then he had to take all the birthday wishes from everyone, and soon the house was packed.  
Mokuba had come down as soon as he had heard the doorbell ring and Kaiba sat in the kitchen grudgingly, trying to mind his own business and make conversation with nobody, but Jounouchi kept pulling him from his chair into different chatting groups, as if being a good wife, introducing him to folks he didn't know and didn't care to get to knowm either.  
Standing in a corner with 'the kindergarden' and two other classmates, he was telling everyone about this new really cool virtual reality game that Kaiba was working on and let him help a bit (at least asked for his opinion sometimes), when Kaiba passed them on the way to the kitchen. He grabbed him and quicky said, before he could consider someone kidnapping him and throwing a punch at him, "Hey, good you came by, I was telling people about your VR project and Anzu was really interested in it, so I thought you might wanna tell her some more, eh?"  
Kaiba gave a strange look, annoyd to have to talk to the guests and at the same time mildly pleased that someone wanted to talk about his project.  
"Then, what did Jounouchi tell you already?", he asked.  
"Not much, only that it was set in the future and you had a very interesting concept about social structures and -"  
Kaiba interrupted her on the edge of rudeness: "And who are you?"  
Everyone stared at him. Even Jounouchi stared at him. Maybe he was the one staring with the most disbelieve, except for Anzu, who flushed and began to stutter, but Jounouchi stole the march on her: "Are you freaking all at sea? It's Anzu!", he said, not sure if this was a game Kaiba was playing to convince him not to engage him in further conversation anymore. Or maybe he didn't hear so good as he had been a bit sickish the last days? He usually was very good with voices, most people didn't even notice anymore he didn't see them.  
But Kaiba's confusion looked real. Puzzled, he looked at Anzu, then turned his face to the girl next to her. "But, she is...", he started, breaking off.  
"This is Shizuka, my sister, remember? What the fuck is wrong with you?!", Jounouchi was worried and angry at the same time and didn't know which one to rely on more.  
Kaiba's face went back to Anzu. "But she...", he mumbled, blinking.  
"It's ok, that happens, really, I don't mind", Anzu quickly stated, blushing more, obviously hating to be the reason of confusion and stress.  
Kaiba looked at her as if she was a ghost, or a person speeking through the mouth of another person. Jounouchi stared at her. Then at Kaiba. Kaiba blinked again.  
And then his mouth fell open.  
"Oh my god!", he exclaimed, nearly making Kaiba flinch: "It's because of her hair, isn't it? Because she, oh my god, she bleached it month ago!"  
Kaiba blinked again, then turned his face to Jounouchi, his mouth open slightly as if to say something, but he didn't.  
"Oh my god! This is the most thrilling birthday present ever!", he shouted, Kaiba made a step back. He didn't like what was about to come.  
"How many arms do I show?", Jounouchi asked, throwing both arms in the air.  
"Two, you unsufferable -", Kaiba answered crossly, but stopped when Jounouchi threw both his indicating arms around Kaiba's neck, hugging him like for his dear life, screaming "Why didn't you freaking tell me!?"  
He had expected Kaiba to step back, snap at him, maybe even try to wriggle out of the hug, but he only stood there, unsure what to do, and eventually laid his arms around Jounouchis waist featherly and said hesitantly: "Didn't want you to hope it would change any more than it has already", and then, after a pause, he patted Joys back linkishly and said: "You can let go of me now..."  
"Never!", he said, but of course he did as he was told. When he let go and brought some air between them, he noted everyone else was staring. Kaiba seemed to notice the silence, too, as he said: "Look what you've done, you've scared all your guests away", but he looked rather pleased at that.  
"Everyone's still here, idiot, they are just to embarressed at what they just witnessed to say anything." Which, of course, Kaiba knew.  
"I rather think they are waiting for me to kill you for attacking me unasked for."  
"Ha-Ha. I know, it was horrible for you. If you don't want me to hug you further, better don't tell me any more good news."  
"Fine then", Kaiba simply said.  
"No, wait, ARE there any more good news?"  
Kaiba snarled: "I'd sure not be going to tell you now even if there were."  
"You bastard!", Jounouchi exclaimed, but Kaiba just turned around and continued to the kitchen. Jounouchi turned around to the others, sending them a big appology with his eyes and said: "Sorry everyone, gonna be right back!", before he went after Kaiba, who had gone missing between the people in the way.  
"Kaiba! Wait", he shouted, half wrestling his way through the masses, then found Kaiba calmly sipping on his Gin Tonic in the kitchen, looking up when he arrived, one leg over another on a bar stool like a prince.  
Jounouchi cornered him with his back to the counter and his hands on Kaiba's knees.  
"You better tell me now!", he demanded.  
"Or what?", Kaiba asked snarling.  
"Or I'm gonna lick off your make-up in the middle of all people."  
Kaiba looked at him with a bemused but disgusted face that didn't really show Jounouchi if he believed that or not.  
"Just tell me, what's the point anyways?", Jounouchi whined: "Does Moki know already?"  
"The other one, yes", Kaiba simply answered.  
"Man, why didn't you tell me?!"  
"As I said, I didn't want you to -"  
Jounouchi interrumpted him: "Yeah, cut it. What more is there, now?"  
Kaiba rolled his eye. "I'm going to have surgery next week", he announced unceremoniously.  
"Uhm, ok... Meaning?", he asked, unsure of what to think or hope for at that.  
"They are trying to reinstall the apperture-function of my iris, meaning it could enable me to focus again. Some", he explained.  
"What... Like... Seeing clear?"  
"Well, like... Seeing clear with a strong vision aid maybe. IF it works at all."  
"Oh my god!", Jounouchi screamed, he leaned forward, trying to throw his arms around Kaiba again, but Kaiba catched his arms in mid air. His reflexes and his instinctive knowledge of peoples moves were astonishing these days. "Enough for today", he said, annoyed.  
"Also, the effect is not going to show instantly.  
"I don't freaking care!", Jounouchi beamed like the sun at midday, and then, as he couldn't get his arms free, leaned in further and gave Kaiba a loud smootch on the cheek.  
"You really gross me out sometimes", Kaiba said grimassing, then let go of Jounouchi and added, quietly: "Don't tell anyone. Mokuba doesn't know. And he shall not know yet."  
Oh my god! This is -", Jounouchi ran off for his friends, but came back after only some steps, hurriedly, leaned on Kaiba's knees and came closer, but abstained from any more groping this time, when he said: "This is my best birthday present ever."  
Then he went off.


	9. About a well planned act

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so TWO people read this, let's throw a party! :D  
> Reason enough to post the next chapter. But don't say you haven't been warned ;)

"Mokuba?", Jounouchi asked as soon he heard the crack in the line.  
"Jounouchi! I'm glad you call!"  
"Yeah, I just wanted – Where's your brother?"  
"What?", Mokuba stopped, startled. "Thought he was with you!", he said with confusion.  
"Why would you think that?" Jounouchi asked, now confused himself.  
"Because of the SMS he send me saying that I shouldn't bother to come home because you had his car and were going to go fetch him from the clinique and everything was settled?", he supplied instantly.  
"But I don't even have his car keys!", Jounouchi said. "Are you at home? Why didn't you open? I'll come over!"  
"No, I'm with Osamu", Mokuba said, and then, very quietly: "Something's happened to him, right?"  
Jounouchi felt the stinging deep down in his belly expanding explosively now Mokuba had said it out loud.  
"Don't worry, probably just a misunderstanding. He told me Hayase was supposed to come get him because he would be temporarely blind again after the operation."  
Mokuba cried out as if in pain: "Hayase's called in absent a few hours ago because someone had called to tell him his old mum had had an accident, so he drove down to Kyoto!"  
"What?", Jounouchi sweared.  
"I call the clinique. You try to reach your brother. Can Osamu's mum drive you home right now? I need Seto's car keys from the house. And I guess you should come!" Meet you in ten at your place?"  
Mokuba nearly forgot to say "o'course", before ending the call. Jounouchi gulped heavily, then turned his path back to the mansion where he came from.  
He swore with all his lung volume for about twenty seconds before he pulled himself together and googled the number of the clinique with this shitty annoying but damn now blessed smartphone Kaiba had given him for his birthday (so he could control him more efficiently). He knew the number of the clinique as Kaiba had been there several times to insert the prothesis.  
When he dialed it, a nice lady took the phone.  
"Hey, I need", Jounouchi said, then reconsidered. He needed this so badly he couldn't risk to fuck it up by being rude or impatient.  
"Sorry, I'm a bit agitated", she seemed to be smiling when she said: "Don't worry, just take your time and calm down." Jounouchi took the opportunity to take a deap breath.  
"My names' Jounouchi Katsuya. It's about Kaiba Seto", he said: "I need an information".  
"I'm really sorry, mister", the girl said, and she did sound terribly sorry: "But I am not authorized to give you any information about patients."  
Jounouchi sweared, but in silence. "I know. I really only want to know if he has been there today. Can you forward me to someone who would know? Like the department of his... case... or something?"  
"Actually this is not neccesary. I think I can at least tell you that I have guided him outside safely about two hours ago my very self."  
Jounouchi held his breath. "Really? Was he fine? Where did he go?"  
"Yes, he was good! He wished me a good evening, I thought it was sweet, he had never done this before."  
"Oh. Uhm, nice", Jounouchi said, unpatiently: "Then, where did he go?"  
"He said, there would be someone coming for him by car, and indeed in that moment a car pulled up and stopped right in front of us, and he said, that's it, probably recognised it from the sound, and entered in the backseat."  
"What car?", Jounouchi inquiered, really impatient now.  
"A blue sportster, it might... Might have been a Porsche. I don't know much about cars. I'm sorry..."  
"Ok. Listen", Jounouchi said, determined now. "If there is videotapes, secure them. Don't delete them if this is what you usually do after some hours. I will call the police."  
"Do you think something happened to him?", the girl asked, she sounded intimidated now, even worried.  
"I really don't know", Jounouchi said, and then added: "But it's possible. Thanks anyway. You were fantastic."  
The girl sighed, then said: "Sorry I can't help more."  
"Not necessary", Jounouchi calmed her, than said: "Well, bye then", and hung up. In this very moment the phone rang again. It was Mokuba. "Jounouchi, I'm at the gate right now. It's the BMW. It's gone."

 

Thankfully, contrary to Kaiba's expectations of people, there was a lot of folk ready to help him. The police, who usually probably wouldn't bother doing anything before someone was missing for a day or two, acted immediately. Osamu's mum, who was possibly the sweetest mum in the world, not only had waited with Mokuba in the car until Jounouchi had arrived, as Jounouchi had told him that from now on, he was going to be nowhere alone, not even at his own house, but then also lend them the car, assuring that she would help it it wasn't for her two small kids plus Osamu being alone at home with the father at night shift. Jounouchi and Mokuba had thanked her a lot and said goodbye, then called several people while driving the little VW Polo around, first for gas, then to the clinique, then to fetch Hayase at Kaiba manor, who by now had arrived back just to have the police ring the door at the empty house, and now could report that it had been, indeed, a false alarm, which caused him some high guilt and worry now.  
Jounouchi's feelings changed between miserable and angry every five seconds. The thought that someone had waited for this occasion for maybe weeks, planned it carefully so that Kaiba had been back to completely blind and therefore much more vulnerable, then distracted Hayase by faking an important call, stolen Kaiba's phone while he was probably being on the freaking OP-table to send a text to Mokuba, taken Kaiba's own car so he would be deceived into trust by the noise of it, and all this just to kidnap him, made him sick, nauseous and also left him worrying very, very much about what they planned to do to him that would justify so much work.  
Probably black-mail, the police said, but Jounouchi had seen enough vengeance-seeking crazy dudes out there to know there was a bunch of guys who were ready to do some real crazy shit to get a chance to play some with Kaiba.  
"How did they even get inside the house to get the car keys?", one of the police officers asked: "I thought there had been a new lock installed only some weeks ago."  
"Yeah", Mokuba helped out: "Seto got tired of the thing with the keys as he had too many of those already, so he had new security doors installed at his office and the mansion based on..." and then his voice trailed off, his stare finding Jounouchi's. "Shit. The prothesis", Jounouchi said. "No way."  
And then, suddenly he thought about the plane crash. How strange it had been, how utterly helpless both, the pilot and Kaiba had been, not understanding what was going on, as if the instruments were suddenly not working anymore, and Jounouchi knew, Kaiba would never ever be careless about maintenance of his plane, because it was clear with all the stuff that was in there, that he was planning on taking Mokuba in that very airplane.  
They're going to kill him, he suddenly thought. He's gonna die. He sat there for a moment, before his legs eventually gave him permission to move, then he shot up and got to the bathroom just in time to heave this dinner back up.

Three days later still no clue where to find Kaiba or even where to look.  
Jounouchi felt like he was on the edge of either exploding or just giving it up, keel over and stay on the floor, wait until it's over.  
After talking to the police again and again talking through every detail over and over, the police now had found it was highly probable that Yugi's food had been poisoned back then at the tournament, which meant someone had known if Yugi was brought to a hospital, Kaiba would go see him. And deliberately choosing Yugi for this job probably meant they knew quite a lot about him. So right now police was trying to reconstruct who would have had the opportunity to poison Yugi. They were also trying to find the car, and Kaiba, that was, by showing his photo in the news. They had tried to find the car by estimating the way it might have taken and checking video tapes at control points on highways. Jounouchi on the other hand didn't really believe they had kept Kaiba in that car, as it was highly cospicious, a striking giant deepsea blue beauty fast like a lightning bolt, all kinds of people would turn their head on the streat for this car. They had also controlled all kinds of people Mokuba and Jounouchi had come up with as potential culprits, like Pegasus, von Schroeder, Gozaburo, some old Kaiba Corp. employees as well as some people who had been done wrong by the Kaiba Corporation, mostly still at Gozaburo's time. They had looked up potential competitors and old school foes. But nothing about all of those seemed very suspicious, more than any other time at least, and if someone asked Jounouchi, Pegagus and von Schroeder basically spent their whole lifes looking and behaving suspicious.

When the phone rang, this time Jounouchi didn't even look at the display, he just took the call and asked, tirely: "Any news?"  
"Jounouchi." Just this one word. But it was Kaiba's voice.  
"Oh my god, Seto!", Jounouchi thought he might faint: "Where are you? How can you call, why didn't you before??"  
"Didn't have the phone close enough, but this time he left it in here, growing careless, the bastard. And as for the how: I just told the phone to switch on and it did, and I told it to call you, and appearantly, it did. As for the where - I don't have any idea, all I know is one of them is Daimon Kogoro. Didn't recognize the others."  
"You kidding me, the Big Five guy? They died in Cyber Space I thought!"  
"Well, apparrantly they didn't do a very good job dying."  
"Holy crap. Are you hurt?"  
"Well he's a fucking psychopath, what did you think he was doing with me, tea-parties?"  
"Don't give me that bullshit now. We die from the worry"  
"Ha, then let's see who dies first", Kaiba answered dryly.  
"Kaiba, I swear, you can have plenty of this when you're back, but right now I cannot put up with this, ok? Now help me fucking rescue you."  
"Alright" Kaiba said after a while, this time very quiet, and then: "Are you and Mokuba ok?"  
"Yeah, fine. Worried. Sleepless. But ok. The kid's really miserable you know. I'm staying at the mansion to keep an eye on him."  
"Good. Didn't expect any less from you."  
That's one hell of a compliment coming from a Seto Kaiba, Jounouchi thought, his heart warming for a second. "What happened to Hayase?", Kaiba asked next.  
"Nothing. He's fine. They just called him and tricked him into calling the day off. He feels terribly guilty though."  
"Well that's utterly stupid, what could he have done?"   
"That's what I keep saying."  
"Fine. Keep on saying it."  
"So, my turn. Now. Again. No tea-parties, got that. Are you injured?"  
"Nothing that wouldn't heal I think", Kaiba answered, this time he seemed to really try to help.  
"Good. Thank god. Tell me about them. What you know."  
"I know it's at least three, but I don't know if the others are still here. But one of them is Daimon."  
"How do you know?"  
"About Daimon I know because he talked to me. A lot. Really. All this vengeance-crap, you know the drill. About the others, well, when they came to the clinique in the BMW, I started talking to Hayase, who was not there of course, so when I noticed that something was not right, there were three man, one holding the gun to my head, that was Daimon, talking about how miserable he had been and whining around the whole time, made me sick really", he spit out the last words with an amount of hatred Jounouchi had not heard in Kaiba's voice for a very long time: "Then there was another man who began to tie me up, and then there must have been the driver."  
"Could have been Daimon", Jounouchi answered, but Kaiba negated. "I was sitting on the left. So when the driver was in the front right seat, he would have had to turn around quite much, also, he kept the gun to my head perfectly when I was moving. Can't do that when you're going 150 miles per hour on the highway."  
"Ok, see you have been attentive, that's good. What about the ride?"  
"Must have been about thirty minutes. Most of the time going very fast, so I guess highway. From the distance we drove through the city until first accelleration I would guess it was the northern gateway, but I'm not sure."  
"Kay. 'M taking notes. So, did they say something about where to go or where to pass by?"  
"No, though they talked about something interesting about half the way."  
"What was it?"  
"One of them said: 'Isn't that the place?', then Kaimon answered 'don't fucking remind me', and then he said something under his voice, but I think it might have been 'still think 'bout'er enough without you remind'n me."  
"That's interesting indeed."  
"Yeah, check his past. Might find something, when you find the place, you might also have the highway, then just add about twelve more minutes at speed limit, wouldn't expect them to have gone any faster, bad to get into a police control with some tied up half concious blind guy in he back bench."  
"Stop that now!", Jounouchi barked, his stomach giving him a hard time again: "And tell me about when you arrived"  
"They changed cars. And actually, i think, it was somewhere at a pier, well, I think they might have sank the BMW into the ocean."  
"Stupid, don't worry about that car now."  
Kaiba gave a really strange noise, like a bitter snort.  
"So. Another car."  
"Yes."  
"What did it sound like?"  
"Don't know. Not like one I've ever been in. Old I would imagine. Probably doesn't do more than 80 miles per hour. Weak motor. Rather small. Something European I think. A Ford maybe. Tinny sound of the doors, uncomfortable seats, smelled a lot like old cigarette smoke."  
"Hm. Not much to look after. But good to know if we have a trace."  
"How long in this car?"  
"I'd guess three hours, not highway. Mostly through forest or something."  
"For three hours?"  
"Yes."  
"Must be a big forest."  
"Yes.  
"You still in there?"  
"I don't know. Maybe I... I can't remenber, but I think they might have brought me elsewhere when I was unconcious."  
"What makes you think so?"  
"The noise has gone. There has been a noise, outside of the window. Something rattling and running water. Sometimes it was extremely loud, sometimes nearly imperceptible. But always there."  
"Hn. Okay", Jounouchi only said. "What do you know about the place you are right now?"  
"Not much. It's like a hangar or something. Not much in there. Lot of reverberation. Heavy metal doors, more like gates probably. Might be a deserted old parking block or someting. There is some sunlight so it's not underground. But I can't tell anymore."  
"Hm. At least something."  
"Yeah. What do you know?"  
"Well, we know by now that he had your research team infiltrated to get the information about your iris to break into the house. He know he poisoned Yugi's food at that turnament back then and he -"  
"He manipulated the machine", Kaiba suddenly burst out.  
"Yes, so we",  
"He's going to die. If it is the motherfucking last thing I'll ever do, he is -"  
"Kaiba. Would it help if I would really really honestly ask you, beg you not to do anything stupid now?"  
"I never do stupid things."  
"I mean, stupid as in incautious, as in, imprudent! Like in 'suicide-mission.'"  
"I'm not on a suicide mission. I got someone else trying to do that for me."  
"Please, please, Seto! Please promise me killing him will not be the last thing you do."  
"Don't be ridicolous, this is only -"  
"Listen, Seto. We don't think he knew there was another person aboard of this plane. For all we know he didn't even think there would be another one to fly, as you're a damn good pilot yourself."  
"Do you really think talking me into believing he wouldn't have killed you would stop me from killing him?"  
"Don't be foolish! We need you here, alive! Mokuba needs you. You can have your revenge later, when you're back here, safe. Ok?"  
Kaiba snorted.  
"Whatever. But listen, one more thing."  
"Tell me."  
"They had everything extremely well planned. But they didn't know what I was at the clinique for. They thought it was plasic sugery. They don't care to blindfold me. And I do seem to get my vision back, already see some blurry colours.  
"Oh my god, really? That's brilliant! That could rescue you!"  
"Yes. Maybe in two more days I might see enough to deduce the number code of the door from his movements."  
"Great, that's great! Wait, aren't you tied up?", Jounouchi asked, shaking now with the excitement.  
"Yes. Will see what to do about that. Probably going to find a way."  
"What... What if not?"  
"Then you better come and rescue me before he's done with the whole butchering thing", Kaiba said. That was it.  
"Hold on", he croaked, getting to his feet and barely made it to the window before throwing up, heaving violently, caughing, tears stinging in his eyes from the pain in his throat."  
Kaiba was utterly silent.  
"Good. There's nothing more I can tell you. But you have to do something for me now. Several, actually."  
"Start with the most important", Jounouchi said.  
"Tell Mokuba I love him. That I'm fine. That it's going to be ok."  
"I will. What more?"  
"He wants something from me. And I'm sure very soon he will give up getting it out of me the way he's trying right now. So there is a good chance he is going to try and hack my phone, maybe even has already. He could read my messeges, my contacts, my mails... Thatswhy I will delete all your data. And I must ask you not to call this phone again."  
"No, don't do that! How will you be able to call!?"  
"I won't."  
"Kaiba, I swear, if you do this I will -"  
Then the line was cut. He called back but Kaiba declined the call, and a second, and a third time.  
He threw up some more before calling the police.

No-one slept this night, but they had found the house of Daimon's ex-wife by the next morning and the large forest some hours later. Flying around with the helicopter they were looking for a building that would fit the purpose, and after searching about a dozen places, they found it. Jounouchi knew that Kaiba had been there as soon as he saw the place from above: There was a tiny creek next to the building, and over the creek was a water wheel, lazily turning, giving a rattling noise.  
When they entered, Jounouchi chilled. It was barely more than a rotten production hall, wooden floors and grafity on the concrete walls, the windows were shattered. There was nothing in there indicating someone had been here for years, only that in one room there was way less dirt than you would expect. Forensics searched the room carefully, and then, next to the window, carved into the wooden floor, Jounouchi found the little "KC". It wasn't a real K and C at the first sight, but it became one when imagining someone had been lying or sitting on the floor with their hands tied behind their back, not able to see what they were doing, but carving determinedly into the extremely hard floor with their fingernails until they were ground down to the edge of blood.  
Later that day, forensics also confirmed Kaiba hab been there, as they had found there had been blood from him in the room, although it had been tried to wash away.  
But what was it worth? Kaiba was not here anymore.


	10. About hunting

In the middle of the night, Jounouchi had not wanted to sleep but as Mokuba had needed some rest and denied sleeping unless Jounouchi stayed with him, Jounouchi woke from the phone ringing, raised his head from the black mass of hair and disentangled his limbs from the boy's, who slightly stirred next to him. He pulled the blanket over Mokuba and firmly put his arm around his shoulders while whispering into the phone: "Yeah?"  
"Sorry to call you at that hour. You know we have talked to Daimon's ex-wife this afternoon", the police officer started.  
"Yeah", Jounouchi simply said again, impatient.  
"So. Both of them are rather heavy smokers."  
Jounouchi knew this wasn't an interesting fact, but he sensed where this was going to. He was wide awake now.  
"And after they divorced and he kept the car, she purchased and old, second-hand Ford Fiesta. In fire red. It has been stolen five days ago."  
"Fucking shit!", Jounouchi said, under his breath. "It's the car, you found the car! We know what to look after now!"  
"We already did. The team's searched video tapes from the public cam's the whole night. We found it."  
"You what?" Jounouchi had forgotten to stay quiet this time and Mokuba started to stir again, raising a hand to rub his eyes, yawning.  
"We know where the car is right now. Someone's on the way with the helicoper. It's not that far from the other place."  
"I'm gonna come."  
"We don't know if he is where the car is, it's really not worth... You should rest, I will let you know as soon as we -"  
But Jounouchi shook his head violently while jumping out of the bed, nearly tripping over the end of the blanket in the dark. "Come fetch us at the mansion, we're ready right now."  
The officer sighed and said: "Be there in five."

Jounouchi had needed only two miutes to run around get everything done. He had left everything he might need to grab in an emergency in his jacket and hadn't cared (or dared) to take off his clothes when he went to bed, so all he had to do was pull a hoody over the extremely confused Mokuba's head, get him some warm pants instead of his pajama pants, get him out of the bed, down the stairs, to the door, then wrap him in a scarf and a warm jacket like a doll, put on some shoes to himself and Mokuka, grab his own jacket, pull him out of the house and jump in the car that pulled up in front of the gates that very second.  
Only when both of them were in the backseat of the car, he looked down to find Mokuba still dazzled from sleep, confused and excited and scared with his hoody inside-out.  
He sighed and allowed the kid to take the warm coat off in the warmth of the car and put his pullover on the right way, while thanking the officer for getting them and explaining everything to Mokuba.  
It was a two hours ride to the north and Jounouchi had his arm around Mokuba most of the time, who was so exhausted from the last days that he constantly doze off in the dark back of the car only to wake up shortly after with a start, looking around panicked and hopeful at the same time. It had started snowing heavily and it was getting more and more difficult to see anything outside the car.  
"Don't worry, I will wake you if the slightest thing happens", Jounouchi told him once again, when the officer's hands-free device in the car rang and he took the call.  
"Are you there?", the officer asked. The connection was weak, but he understood the other saying: "Yeah, had to land a bit off, didn't want them do notice us right away. We're on our way to the building. Freaking dark here, can't risk to turn on any lights, what a mess." He sweared.  
"See anything over there?", he shout-whispered.  
Jounouchi couldn't hear his partner answer, but then the man said: " 'S gonna take a couple of minutes to get there, then we're securing the house. When you here?"  
"Ten minutes", their officer said. Jounouchi felt Mokuba tense with excitement and pulled him closer.  
Then the line was cut, and instantly asked: "So, the place is in the same forest?"  
"Yeah", the officer said: "But on the other side, absolute no-man's land there. Forest's really thick, 'twas pure luck we got a glimpse of the car through a gap in the trees."  
"What kind of place is that?"  
"Huh, hard to tell. Bigger than a simple fisher hack anyway" In that moment the car pulled off the road onto a small track, deep into the dark woods. There was no light anywhere. Jounouchi had a look at the display of the GPS, that told him it was about two miles from there. The phone rang again.  
"What happened?", the officer asked.  
"Arrived there, secured the house, but there's no fucking one there."  
"Shit. Too late?"  
"Don't think so. Door was wide open, car's still here. Searched the place, there's a window broken inside, I mean broken from inside out, lotta blood here. You close? Have to see that. It's like, man, those bloody footsteps in the snow leading into the forest like, damn, that's surreal.  
"Shit", their officer said: "So, no-one's there. Might as well park right in front of it then. He had turned the lights on already and didn't bother to turn them off for the last mile, then they finally saw the building, only one floor and surely not for living. Probably some old production place again, maybe wood processing. They came to a halt directly in front of the open doors and Jounouchi leaned to open the door when the officer said: "Stay, gonna check the terrain, you better stay in the car and have a look at the boy."  
Jounouchi bit his lip, but finally nodded, and when Mokuba protestet, he grabbed him even closer and said: "They'll find him. He's here, you'll see."  
Mokuba looked as if starting to cry, but then made a grimasse, snuffled and put on the serious, determined face of his brother, which looked amazingly scary on him.  
They waited, but Jounouchi put the window down a bit so he could hear more, even if that was freaking cold. They saw the moving lamplight of the officer in the inside the house through the windows, it took him freaking long, but when he came back, he told them: "It's empty. Think you can come out."  
Jounouchi noticed his face being a lot whiter than a minute ago and his jaw clenched.  
"What is it?", he asked under his breath so Mokuba, who was climbing out of the car, taking in the whole scenery anxiously, didn't hear.  
"Won't lie to you. Place's full of blood really."  
Jounouchi nodded. Suddenly, there was a scream from off dark inside the woods, and they heard the other policeman call for his partner, but there was no answer.  
"Mokuba! Back to the car!", Jounouchi said, and the officer pulled the boy over. He protested when they ushered him back in, but finally they closed the door and locked the car down. Jounouchi knew Mokuba wanted nothing more than be out there shouting his brother's name, but he kept quiet in the dark car.  
Then Jounouchi followed the officer into the woods. He didn't have a light, so he had to follow closely after the little light cone the man's flashlight shone, a couple of times he nearly ran into a tree.  
They did finally find one of his colleagues, but the other one was nowhere to be found. They wandered around in the dark, shouting his name, when Jounouchi tripped and fell. Groaning, he pushed himself up, when the light of one of the men found him and he saw what he had tripped over. It was the third policeman. He was lying on the ground in a puddle of sticky blood looking nearly black against the white snow. They all froze. Then, the noise of snapping branches suddenly made the officers move, they ran off in that direction and Jounouchi, though trying to follow, lost them when it took him too long to get on his feet until the lights had completely vanished in the dark. He stumbled a few meters, just to get away from the body, and nearly fell again, when he heard a cracking noise again and stood stock still, carefully listening, tight with fear.  
"Come out, come out, whereever you are...!", a voice half sang half shouted: "Come, little Seto, come out to play!" Jounouchi knew it was Daimon, he'd never forget that voice. He sounded close, maybe twenty meters.  
And then, further away, another voice came from the forest, loud and clear and deathly.  
"I am not the one hiding, Daimon! I will find you, and I will enjoy the feeling of the blade gliding into your throat slowly..." Jounouchi felt himself shudder. Was that really Kaiba? It sounded like him, but it didn't sound like him at all, at the same time.  
"Is this what you did to Gozaburo? Slit his throat?", Daimon asked. His voice came from a slightly different direction than before.  
"Oh, you can't imagine the sound it gave when I twisted the knife in his neck. The bubbling... The blood splashing... The way he looked at me when it all poured out of him..."  
Jounouchi gulped heavily to avoid throwing up. He wished he could bring himself to think this was someone else, but he knew it was Kaiba talking.  
"It's freezing out here, isn't it? Going to enjoy your warm blood on my cold arms..." Kaiba also had moved, and Jounouchi suddenly realized those two were moving around each other like two predators in a fight for life or death. After a break, Kaiba continued:  
"Are you curious, is it that? Shall I tell you how I waited until he'd died, patiently, then I wanted to get rid of him, but he was really heavy, you know. I had to cut him in pieces. Got the chain saw from the garden house. Good I had done it in the kitchen. Pushed the parts out of the window, it was a mess, really, took me hours to clean up, desinfect everything." He gave another bark.  
"Won't have to get rid of you, here. No-one will ever find your body, guess there's a couple of wolfes who will be just delighted to find their next meal lying around so lazily."  
"Look who's talking. How long will you even make it until the blood loss makes you keel over?"  
Kaiba laughed, a short and bitter sound.  
"It won't take me that long to find you and off you for good. Then at least I can die in peace."  
"Do you really think being blind gives you an advantage over me out here?"  
"You have no idea. I can see you right now. I can see you by your disgusting excited breathing. By your clumsy steps. I will hunt you down."  
"You know, I always told Gozaburo his sweet little genius sex toy would eventually turn on him. And you did. Didn't you?" He gave Kaiba the opportunity to answer, but he didn't say a word.  
"I used to tell him he should stop bothering with the education shit and do you right like he had aquiered you for. Oh yeah, I remember his face when he told me he'd adopted that smartass brat and his useless excuse for a brother. He was obsessed with you, you know. There was something about you, this impertinant little bloke. I told him not to be silly, that you would only cause work and trouble, but he wouldn't listen. He wanted you so badly, it was ludicrous. Ha. You didn't know why he'd agreed to adopt you, back then, did you? But you're quite smart, guess you figured it out quickly. Wasn't difficult to tell anyway. How he looked at you with that eager, greedy eyes."  
He gave a noise that made Jounouchi nauseous again. A laugh, but it sounded like a screeching door.  
"Did you really think he was going to let you into his business ever? I wonder, what was it like when you finally understood this was never going to happen? I wonder how long you had known it would happen, and dreaded the moment he would decide it was time you finally paid up for all the trouble you had caused."  
Jounouchi noticed he made a lot of pauses, seemed to try to draw a reaction from Kaiba, but the other didn't do him the favor. Maybe he didn't want to give him a clue where he was. Maybe he just didn't want to give away what this did to him.  
"Tell me. When did he finally take what he wanted? Was it the day you killed him? Or has it only been one to many times that day? Did you give him what he wanted so he wouldn't turn to your sweet little baby brother? Did you pay your nice wealthy life in carnal favors so you didn't need to go back to the orphanage? Oh you were such an obnoxious, calculating hussy. Bet you paid him well!"  
It cost Jounouchi everything he had to stay quiet over there in the shadows, not to heave or wheep or cry out for Daimon to shut up. It was so painfully disgusting. He imagined the boy Kaiba had been back then, the one he had seen on this photo in his drawer. He couldn't understand how Kaiba could keep quiet with all this. Unless he wasn't doing it on purpose. Had he died from the blood loss? Was it that? He pressed his shaking hands over his mouth to stop the whimperin when he slit down the tree, his eyes getting wet.  
"Did you kill him because he couldn't keep his filthy fingers away from you, boy? Or did you do it when you finally found out all your payment would get you nothing? Did you find his testament? It was me was me who was supposed to inherit the company, wasn't it? So you slit his throat and let the testament disappear?"  
Kaiba finally gave a sound. It was a bark, coming from left behind Jounouchi this time. "You've spent four days now trying to get this out if me. What makes you think I would ever tell you? What makes you think there was even a testament? What if Gozaburo did the same to you he did to everyone else? Manipulate them, lie to them. So they would follow his orders, go by his rules, give them what he wanted?" Kaiba tried to make it sound dismissive and unimpressed, but Jounouchi could tell there were cuts in his sentence he usually woulnd't make. If he was really losing blood, he would probably have problems staying concious. He would probably be in pain, maybe moving would make it worse. He bit his lip, clenched his fists. He didn't know what to do. It was freaking dark and there were two people in this forest who'd probably both kill him if they ran into him by accident. If he would let them know he was there, Daimon would try to use him as an instrument to get to Kaiba, and he might even succeed with that. But if he waited... Even if Kaiba could make it for another while without dying or fainting, it would dawn soon, and with the first rays of sun the snow would reflect enough light to illuminate the whole forest. And darkness was the only chance of Kaiba to overpower the other.  
And then, what if Kaiba did overpower Daimon? Would he really stab his throat and have his blood running over his arms? Would he go to jail? Had he really killed Gozaburo? Coldly stabbed him, watched him drain? He imagined 14 year old Seto Kaiba, his cold, arrogant eyes, his hatefull gaze. Would he have been capable of doing it? And then, the other thing about Gozaburo... Was this the reason, Kaiba's eyes were so hatefull back then, always had been? The reason why he was so full of mistrust, why he didn't enjoy touches or proximity? Had he murdered his stepfather after years of abouse?  
He snapped out of it when he heard branches snap extremely close to him now, and pressed himself up on a tree.  
"See, the sunlight is coming through. Oh, sorry, I forgot: Poor thing, you can't..." A mocking sound of pity followed that Kaiba ignored. "If you want to off me you should hurry. Don't think you have more than three minutes left.  
Jounouchi had noticed, too. There was a soft glitter on the snow already. He had to do something now, or this would escalate in a moment. He took a deep breath, then got to his feet and stepped closer to the two of them, now probably not more then ten meters apart telling from the snapping sound that had probably been Kaiba.  
Stupid enough, Daimon kept talking.  
"You know, you could just tell me where the testament is. Maybe I'll let you live. We could have some more fun together, what do you say? You can show me what Gozaburo taught you. We could get your sweet little brother to join the party! Guess he was never allowed to back then with Gozaburo, huh? Selfish Seto wanted all the fun for himself... You were such a slutty little -" He screamed. Everything went really fast.  
"Don't!", Jounouchi shouted: "Don't kill him, Seto!" He stumbled forwards as fast as he could with the dark revealing the obstacles not sooner than a couple of inches from his face.  
"Jounouchi", he heard Kaiba answer, completely taken aback.  
"Yeah, listen to that kid", Daimon said, snarling but trembling, and then a thump and a scream followed. "You, silent!", Kaiba spit. And then a cloud or something revealed a ray of light and he saw the huddled heap on the gound, stumbled the last meters, but didn't dare to come too close. He wasn't sure what Kaiba was going to do if he came closer, or if Daimon would use his closeness as a chance and try to do something, break free or fight back, and also, he didn't want to admit it to himself, but he was kind of scared of Kaiba, too.  
Was he really a father murdering monster? Was he really that cold, had he enjoyd making the blood splash out when killing his stepfather back then when only a teenager?  
"Why should I spare him?", Kaiba asked, his voice was low and dangerous. "He doesn't deserve living."  
"He doesn't", Jounouchi agreeed. But don't ruin your own life with this. He's going to go to jail, serves him right, psycho fucking bastard", he explained, his voice tight, anxious.  
"He has done this one too many times now. Threatened my life, harmed my family, taken away my peace", I will not ever be able to live in peace until this man is six feet under."  
Kaiba's voice was trembling now, and it got softer, lower. With the forest lighting up more and more, he could make out some shapes. The glistering, shaking blade against the throat of the man half lying on the ground, Kaiba behind him sitting, with his arm firmly holding the man in place.  
"Please. Seto. Please... Police is here. Mokuba is here. Don't do this now", Jounouchi begged, making one more step towards him.  
"I don't care who is here. I will not have my peace threatened to be taken from me again. I will not go on living in fear", he said, the knife was trembling so hard in his hand it cut into Daimon's throat accidently and drew some blood, which made him whimper, but he didn't say anything, only stared at Jounouchi with white eyes shining in the dark.  
When he took one more step towards them, he could finally see Kaiba's face. It didn't tell the same story as his voice. His expression was full of hate and disgust, but also desperation and fear and helplessness. It was clear he didn't know what to do. This was the reason why he hadn't killed the man already. He simply couldn't do it, wasn't sure if it was the right thing or not. He wanted to do it, but couldn't, but he could not stop now, either, so he sat there, trembling, caught in this situation with no way out. Looking at Kaiba's face, who stared at him in a question not leaving his mouth, Jounouchi knew he didn't have to be scared of Kaiba. That he wasn't a cold, merciless father killing monster. He stepped around the two and let himself down on his knees behind them, raised his hand and laid it on Kaiba's hand clutching the knife.  
"It's fine. It's over. Give this to me now", he said quietly. Kaiba didn't move a finger.  
"Seto", he said, half a whisper now close to Kaiba's ear, as it was dead silent except for the heavy breathing of both men. "You've done it. You won. Let me take over for you. You're exhausted", he offered, and leaned forward, his grip on the knife tightening only a bit. Then, he hadn't even fully believed it himself, Kaiba let go of the knife and leaned back into him. Jounouchi put an arm around him and steadied him, then let Daimon know: "One flinch and I'll kill you, no matter what I said earlier."  
He changed the knife into the other hand and got out his phone to call the officer. He really wandered what they were doing, searching in the completely wrong part of this fucking forest.  
Then he waited for them to come. No-one said a word, no-one moved. But as light began to illuminate the place, Jounouchi saw the tight blanket of snow had been broken by footprints everywhere, and a sickening trace of blood indicated Kaiba's every step since he had left the building. When Kaiba leaned into him even heavier, his head sinking onto Jounouchi's shoulder, he shook him softly, but found he had probably fainted eventually.

Kaiba woke up when he was being treated in the helicopter on the way home. Unfortunately, in the heat of the moment nobody had thought to take a paramedic with the police, so it was merely first aid until they would be able to go down on the parking at Domino hospital.  
While their officer flew the copter, the other had stayed to wait with Daimon for reinforcement to come. The inside of the helicopter would have been rather ample, so Mokuba and Jounouchi sat on one bench while they had Kaiba spread out on the other with his feet over the arm rest on one side, and tried their best to tend to the flesh wounds. And there were a lot. They had rid Kaiba of most of his clothes, which were wet from blood and snow anyways, and wrapped him in one of those "Sirius" rescue blankets, which Jounouchi had used up there in the mountain, too, and was quite sure they served it's purpose. There wouldn't have been enough dressing to cover up every bit of Kaiba that Daimon had torn open, but they made sure he wasn't losing more blood. When Kaiba stirred, Jounouchi gave Mokuba a look, and he understood and to bend over and hold both Kaiba's upper arms while Jounouchi kept bandaging, although he already looked like a mummy.  
"What...?", Kaiba inquired, opening his eyes slowly. Mokuba beamed at him. It was the first thing he saw, Jounouchi thought, and that sure was a good first thing to see.  
" 'We in a plane?", Kaiba asked, and his first impuls was to shoot up, but thankfully he was weak enough for Mokuba to hold him down, while Jounouchi said: "Keep down, can't have you lose more blood."  
"Where's he?", Kaiba insisted.  
"The other officer is staying with him until the police van arrives to fetch them." Them and the body, he thought, but wouldn't say out loud for his dear life.  
"Good", Kaiba said, then fell back to unconciousness. Mokuba looked at him expectantly for a while, then finally squeezed himself between Kaiba's head and the arm rest to their side, He took his head in both hands carefully, before edging closer and levitating it on his thighs.  
"It's another hour, better stay comfortable", Jounouchi suggested, but both Kaiba brothers seemed dilirious by then, Mokuba dozing blissfully with his tiny hands wrapped in Kaiba's hair.  
Kaiba woke two more times.  
The first time with a start.  
"Where's Mokuba?", he insisted, and Jounouchi just said: "Up there", indicating the point just above Kaiba's head. He raised his gaze and seemed to spot a dark blotch, then seemed satisfied.  
"Make sure Daimon stays away from him", he mumbled, but when Jounouchi tried to explain that Daimon wasn't with them, he was already back to dreamland.  
Next time, he more like dove softly from sleeping to awake.  
"Jounouchi", he said softly, and Jounouchi, who had half way fallen asleep himself, leaned in and grabbed his hand. "I'm here", he answered in a whisper.  
"Make sure Daimon stays away from Mokuba", Kaiba demanded again, and Jounouchi opened his mouth to explain things, and then finally just said: "I will. I promise."  
Kaiba smiled and sqeezed his hand slightly before dozing off again.


	11. About grief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is short one, I will let you catch your breath for a change :)

It was a day later in the hospital that Kaiba fully woke up for the first time, completely awake and concious. He opened his eyes slowly and groaned, then closed them again. Jounouchi felt a bit bad for Mokuba who he had just send home with Hayase, get out of his pajamas and shower, and get some warm, fresh and comfortable clothes which weren't his pajamas.  
He bent over the bed, close, but didn't touch Kaiba, just waited.  
"Jounouchi", Kaiba said, once more in the last twenty-four hours, his voice raw and husky somewhere there on the thin line between sexy and pityful. Jounouchi wondered if he had seen his blonde hair spot or merely knew he was there.  
"Yeah, 'm here", he answered and edged closer with his chair. Kaiba looked horrible, he had deep dark shadows under his eyes and everything about him was bony, pale and disheveled. Not having eaten in a couple of days had had a shocking effect on his already fatless body and the blood loss made his bright skin look transparently blueish.  
"You found me", he stated, and let his head fall to the direction of Jounouchi's voice without bothering to look at him.  
"Actually, the police did, but yeah, we made it in time."  
Kaiba nodded, then kept silent for a while and finally just said: "I feel like crap."  
Jounouchi nodded. "Yeah, you lost a huge amount of blood. And also, practically every inch of you is slized open. Your right arm has a big gash that got infected, it's nasty. And also, your right elbow is broken. But everything's gonna be alright, the doctors say."  
Kaiba kept silent again, then sneezed.  
"Got myself a fucking cold", he said sourly.  
Jounouchi smirked slightly. "Yeah. That's what you get for not beeing careful. Ya know, not wearing an undershirt, snowballfights without gloves, getting yourself kidnapped and lying on the ground of unheated warehouses for days... Really, didn't your mum tell you? Serves you just right."  
Kaiba sneezed again.  
"Don't worry, they are giving you loads of antibiotics, don't think your cold is gonna make it more than two days. Though they probably make you even dizzier."  
Kaiba groaned and used his free hand to tug the blanket up under his chin, looking miserable, then he was quiet.  
Jounouchi thought he had slipped back to sleep when he finally spoke.  
"You have been around for a while, right?"  
"Yeah. Didn't dare to do something, though. Thought Daimon might use me against you."  
"Smart boy", Kaiba stated and tried a snarl that came out as an exhausted smile. "How long?"  
"Long enough I think."  
Kaiba opened his eyes at this and raised his head. He seemed to be able to tell Jounouchi's position and stared at it in a strangely calculating manner. Jounouchi was sure Kaiba knew that Jounouchi knew, and now he was wondering about what Jounouchi really knew and thought.  
"I see...", he said, but didn't specify.  
"Kaiba...", Jounouchi started, feeling his heartrate raising: "Have you really?"  
Kaiba waited, but as Jounouchi didn't finish the sentence, asked: "What?"  
Jounouchi bit his tongue, but then completed: "Stabbed your stepfather in the throat?"  
Kaiba raised his brows. "God, no!", he said, trying to prop himself up a bit. "I was only a kid."  
Jounouchi sighed soundlessly in relieve. "Oh. So, why did you tell him?"  
Kaiba smirked. "Thought it might be to my advantage having him think I had always been a bloodthirsty psychopath and I was out on the prowl for his guts.  
"Huh", Jounouchi stated, half bewildered, half impressed. On the second thought, Kaiba's sober mind despite of the circumstances had probably saved his life.  
"So you... You didn't kill him?", Jounouchi asked after quite a while, although he wished nothing more than to just let it fall now.  
"No. I did kill him", Kaiba said quietly, slowly, his eyes now openly looking into Jounouchi's direction.  
As Jounouchi gulped, he added: "It was an accident though."  
"Oh...", Jounouchi just said once more, not knowing where this would lead, feeling bad about interrogating Kaiba in a moment like this when he should just be resting and getting better.  
"I... I did have to get rid of the body however", Kaiba went on after a moment. He looked as if it terrorized him much more than the act itself. "I knew I had two hours before the chauffer would bring Mokuba from school, you can't imagine the mess...", he trailed off.  
"I got the chainsaw from the garden shack and... He was fucking heavy. Even his legs were fucking heavy. Nearly couldn't do it. It felt so... I think I as shocked at how little I cared even with all the trouble and the paranoya, I was just so relieved, I remember thinking, even then, that I had finally -", he stopped dead, his face stony. Jounouchi tried to imagine 14 year old Kaiba again, but it was really difficult, he hadn't known him back then, he'd only transfered to a public highschool, their school, shortly after, on his own demand.  
"So that one is true, too?", he asked softly. "About Gozaburo?"  
Kaiba's gaze snapped back to him, but it was even glassier then usual while he seemed to think back.  
"I knew even then, when he came to the orphanage. I saw the look he gave me, how he stared at me.... And I thought this was a chance, that this would give me the power... That I could use this to manipulate him.... So I challenged him. And I saw it worked. I didn't know exactly what it was back then but I knew... I thought I could handle... You know how kids are. They think about the other problems later."  
Jounouchi felt his stomach clench.  
"It was an accident. Though I can't say I didn't want to do it", Kaiba repeated. Jounouchi thought his empty gaze seemed to try to capture his one, but couldn't manage to focus. He was detemined now, pushing himself up, turning his whole torso into Jounouchi's direction.  
"That day I... It was just... I had grown exponentially during this year, was taller than him by then, guess I just felt rebellious that day..."  
Jounouchi leaned forward and laid a hand on his breast, pushing him back gently.  
You know, I would really want to hear. But now's not the right moment", he said quietly.  
Kaiba didn't seem to give in for a moment, determined to explain things, but Jounouchi said very determinedly: "It's fine. Really. I don't blame you or assume anything. I hope you will tell me about this when you're back home. But now you need to recover."  
That seemed to do the trick, as Kaiba didn't lay down, but did relax a bit.  
"Hey, uhm, listen", he then leaned in a bit more, feeling uncomfortable, but decided to do it anyways.  
"Would you give me a hug?"  
Kaiba frowned. "You know this wouldn't help in the least, besides, there is nothing which would so desperately -"  
Jounouchi interrupted him this time. "No, Seto. It's not for you. I know you don't care. It's for me. I have been really worried and it turned out you've had a hard time and I feel terribly guilty that this happened to you and it would make me feel so much better to just... dunno, kinda, like, physically feel that you're here, and safe. You know, when people miss someone, they crave for contact when they see them again. You don't need to worry. It's just once. Promise."  
Kaiba stared at him for a moment. He didn't find the idea too appealing, that much Jounouchi could tell, but in the end he raised his arms and just waited.  
Jounouchi was relieved to say the least. He got up and sat down on the edge of the bed, turned to his side and gave Kaiba a firm hug, complete with his arms tight around the other's back and his fingers running through Kaiba's hair, pressing their cheeks together tighly. It felt heavenly. He felt every tension falling from him, and he just wished he could stay like this for hours, because holding their bodies together gave him the strange feeling there was nothing able to pull Kaiba away from him ever again, and that in a way made him very happy.  
"Would you...", Kaiba began, and Jounouchi released the grip on his hair, only to turn his face and kiss him on the cheek, then on the forehead. "You had us worried to death", he said, clutching Kaiba once again before releasing him completely.


	12. About a well deserved high five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, seems this story is actually writing itself without asking me for permission anymore. Sorry everyone that it gets longer and longer.  
> But I promise I have some cool stuff still in store for you :)  
> Seems some people are actually reading this by now. So. Let me know what you think everyone!

"You know, villains never pull the same stunt twice. That would ruin the surprise!", Kaiba said, trying to talk him out of this, looking annoyed, while putting on his winter coat and scarf. Jounouchi didn't let himself be alloured by his bleating.  
"I don't give a shit. You don't go there alone."  
"You are being freaking childish, and I'm not going there alone, Hayase is bringing me!"  
"Yeah, but he's heading back here after that to get some work done and you're not going to stay there alone." Jounouchi had wrapped himself in his warmest clothes, as it had gotten even colder with heavy snowing outside. He hoped it would stop soon, though, as it was already mid february.  
"You won't be able to do anything except sit there and -", Kaiba was at a loss seemingly, gesturing wildly, as if assaulted by Jounouchi's defiantness. Finally, he just threw his arms in the air on their way to the gate and said: "Fine, if you want to sit there in a cold waiting room for hours and bore yourself to death, I'm just fine with that."  
Jounouchi rolled his eyes. He knew what really bothered Kaiba was that he was so worried about him and was mothering him and he didn't like that at all.  
Jounouchi sat in the car in silence (Kaiba had bought the exact same BMW in the exact same colour again just out of pure stubbornness and had had it flown in from Europe in only two days), while Kaiba and Hayase talked about a meeting that was going to take place the next day and what had to be done until then.  
Jounouchi had come to the understanding, that Hayase had been Kaiba's personal assistent for quite a while and after the plane crash had merely offered of his own accord to come over Kaiba's place and help him with a thing or two, which had only by time turned out to be more and more personal things, less phone calls, more driving him around, reading his mails, setting up dinner.  
In the beginning it had probably been difficult, because Kaiba wouldn't let him do anything he hadn't done before, but Hayase had kept on doing it stoically without being asked or having permission, and finally Kaiba had given up, as long as he stuck to his working hours, leaving the house everyday on time, but only after Hayase had told him, and still did, about a thousand times that he didn't mind driving him and helping with his mail at all and wouldn't mind doing the laundry either, which left Kaiba clearly shell-shocked. Other than that, both men had an interesting relationship, Jounouchi never failed to notice. Hayase was, as he had sensed even at the very first side, a very gentle, caring person, and it seemed he cared about Kaiba quite a lot, but he was also extremely skilled in handling him. He managed to always stay completely polite and respectful, professional even, and still Jounouchi knew that he was nearly a friend for Kaiba. He had never seen Kaiba respecting or even trusting another person except Mokuba as much as Hayase. His respect was so irrevocable that Hayase was even allowed to critizise him (politely), if he saw the need, and strange enough Kaiba would even consider his opinion. He was allowed things that would make Kaiba fire, or maybe even kill, anybody else, probably even Jounouchi. He was allowed to tell him to stop working and come to eat now. He was allowed to tell him to stop being childish when it was yet about another thing he stubbornly wanted to do by himself. He was allowed to touch Kaiba without permission, to guide him anywhere, to shove him anywhere, to steer him into the car, into a room, out of the way, up the stairs... It was a mysterium, really. On the other hand, Hayase would never overly patronize or mother Kaiba. He would accept all his business decisions as plain laws, despite the fact that Kaiba wasn't even half his age and half his educational status (he had majored in Economies, Jounouchi got to know). Which was probably why Kaiba trusted him so much. He always knew exactly when he could argue with Kaiba and when to keep his mouth shut. He always knew exactly when he could tell Kaiba off for overreacting and when to better let him throw his fit. Also, Mokuba loved the man like mad, which was no wonder, as Mokuba loved easily (what a contrast to his brother) and Hayase was so easy to love.

It wasn't a long ride at all, so they arrived at the door of the clinique rather quickly, Kaiba was half out the car before it had even completely stopped. He was quite eager about this, after all.  
Jounouchi jumped out of the car right after him and grabbed the back of his duster to keep him from simply running off, and turned back to thank Hayase and close the door, then had to accept that he wasn't going to stop Kaiba without literally holding him back with both arms around his torso, and just kept up with him, fingertips only featherly touching his waist so he could shove him out of the way of people or obstacles, but there were none on the way to the counter, and the secretary beamed at them. Or at Kaiba, that was.  
"Kaiba-Sama", she said politely: "Good to see you. It is going to be quite a day I take it."  
Kaiba raised his brows and Jounouchi felt very confused as his feelings split up into the part that knew this was the girl who had been so helpful on the phone the other day and the other part who wanted to scratch her eyes out for flirting at Kaiba, though he knew this was utterly unneccesary as Kaiba didn't even seem to notice.  
As Jounouchi said "Can I leave him with you, then?", she gave him a look and did seem to recognise him, as next she said: "Then you must be -", Jounouchi didn't wait for her to show if she remembered the name, but simply said: "Jounouchi Katsuya, I'll wait here and see to him arriving home safely."  
"No worries, mister Jounouchi", she said smiling at him now.  
When Kaiba turned to walk down the corridor, Jounouchi grabbed his hand and grimly insisted: "Take care!", so the girl stood and came around the counter, smiled at him even more and said: "Don't worry, I will bring him back to you safely in no time, you will see."  
The look she gave him made him feel she suddenly wasn't flirting with Kaiba anymore when she laid a hand on his left ellbow to guide him down the hallway.  
"Huh", Jounouchi just said, standing there, suddenly realizing Kaiba had been right and this would be a hell of a boring time.

When Kaiba arrived back more than an hour later, Jounouchi was so caught up in a magazine that he'd fetched from the small table that he didn't even notice him until his shoes appeared right over the edge of the paper. He looked up.  
Kaiba looked down. At him. Through the lenses of some really overly posh black designer glasses.  
"Duuuude...", Jounouchi breathed softly, tilting his head, frowning. Kaiba gave him a lopsided smile.  
"How many fingers?", Jounouchi asked, raising his hand."  
"Is this an utterly pathetic attempt to make me give you a high five?", Kaiba asked, but grinned, too.  
"Hell no man, dat would never be enough!", Jounouchi said, suddenly his face splitting along the line of his lips until up there to his ears. Kaiba's smile didn't vanish, and then Jounouchi jumped up and threw hs arms around him, and for the first time he thought he didn't feel Kaiba tense, but simply bend down a bit and put his arms around Jounouchi's back, holding him softly.  
"Shit that's so awesome I don't even dare to tell you your glasses look bonkers", he said, his nose itching from the difficulty of keeping his eyes dry.  
"Asshole. Was going to get lenses anyway", Kaiba answered in his ear, then let go of him, which was the signal for him to let go now, too, if he didn't want an argument.  
"I'll call Hayase", Jounouchi said, nearly regretting to have to let go of him.  
"Already did that, he's going to be here in a minute. So let's go meet him outside", Kaiba said and turned to go, and then something really strange happened, as his hand came up and laid on Jounouchi's back and gently guided him forward in the direction of the door.  
This did the trick, finally, and Jounouchi's eyes got seriously humid, so he turned his face around and brushed his arm over his face quickly for Kaiba not to see it, as he would definitely pick on him for this.


	13. About catching up

With Kaiba able to do all of his work by himself again, Jounouchi suddenly realized just how much he had been doing before everything had changed. Mokuba hadn't been quite wrong when he had said it was strange to have Kaiba home for dinner all the time.  
In the first week, he had been at the headquarters every day, it seemed he was determined to make sure nothing had happened while he was gone. Of course, things had happened. So it took him a while to bring everything back to ordinary. Hayase went back to being his personal assistent at the headquarters and fully moved back to his old office across Kaiba's.  
When Jounouchi called him, he declined his company for dinner twice, as he wouldn't be there until very late. Having only one arm to work also did not seem to keep him from anything: Typing, phoning, shouting at people, running around searching through files, even precision work like fine mechanics didn't seem to annoy him enough to wait for his ellbow to heal. It was like he was a pheonix reborn from his ashes, just waiting for all kinds of stuff to get done and problems to solve.  
At the third try, a week after the day Kaiba got his glasses, Jounouchi already knew he wouldn't be there for dinner, but at least got him to agree to come over before midnight so they could have a couple of minutes together. Jounouchi felt a little stupid when he stood in front of the door in the middle of the night, waiting for Kaiba to open, and then being let in by Mokuba, who sleepily told him to just go upstairs and wait as it could take another while.  
When Kaiba arrived, it was half past twelve, and Jounouchi was fast asleep until he came in. His determination to seduce Kaiba had been pretty much washed away by sleep and Kaiba didn't seem to plan on waking him fully to make him leave or make use of his presence in any way. Instead he merely put his clothes over a chair in the dark, crawled next to Jounouchi and pulled some of the blanket over that Jounouchi had been hogging against the cold outside. He started a half snore, half breathing even before Jounouchi was back to sleep.

Jounouchi didn't try for a couple of days after that, as Kaiba's bed sure was really cosy, but it wasn't worth coming over only to sleep in someone elses bed if the someone wasn't in there most of the time and even if, there was no cuddling in store for him anyways.  
However, to his surprise Kaiba called him one day just after school to tell him he had promised Mokuba to have dinner with him, and that Mokuba had required Jounouchi to come, too. Also, the next week he would have stuff to to in his workshop at home, so he would spend some more time home, then.  
They did have dinner together that night, which they now prepared themselves (Jounouchi still found it strange watching Kaiba slicing vegetables with the same precision he used to screw electronics), and it was nice, but Mokuba had a lot of school stories to tell and suddenly it was ten and when Mokuba went to bed Kaiba announced that he was going to go back to his office for a while but could give him a ride home to his dad's if he wanted, or he could just stay in his bed but shouldn't expect him to be back before sunrise.  
Jounouchi rolled his eyes and said a ride would be just fine.

They didn't see each other the whole weekend even though Jounouchi spent half the sunday with Mokuba, first in the park, getting themselves cold and wet from a snowball fight with the very last melting snow, then heading back home and after a hot shower playing duel monsters the rest of the day. Jounouchi had hoped to see Kaiba around evening, but he called Mokuba to tell him he had stuff to do, and let him pass on a thanks to Jounouchi for entertaining him.  
Jounouchi made his point in chosing the worst, most unsane junk food dinner he could imagine, which made Mokuba's eyes sparkle like the sun its very self.

On monday however he just came by uninvitedly, as he knew Kaiba would be doing stuff at home. He had to ring three times and half expected to have come in vain, when finally Kaiba opened, looking like he hadn't even cared to take a shower in the morning, with his hair all dishevelled and a working overall over his dressshirt and some oily streaks in his face, which looked just ridiculous. He stared down at him rather surprised but not unpleased, and let him in, explaining he had been down in the basement and hadn't heard the doorbell.  
When Jounouchi followed him back, he was surprised, nealy overwhelmed to find a huge part of the mansion he had had no idea about, as the basement was a gigantic workshop with different rooms like fine mechanics, spray booth, material store and even a lot of big machines likes saws and grinders. It was no wonder Kaiba looked the way he did, as the whole workshop was full of wood dust and other dirt.  
"What the hack have you been doing?", Jounouchi inquired respective the biting smell of coating in the air. Kaiba was busy bent on one of the tables with a lot of dirt, some hand tools and crumpled-up papers.  
"Been working on a prototype, but I've just finished, and as the coating needs some drying, I thought I would have a coffee", he answered distractedly, his gaze lingering somewhere on the workbench in the middle of the room. He made an effort to dust off his blue pants and face, but only smeared even more dust everywhere.  
"Here, let me", Jounouchi proposed, grinning, and got to tiptoes to carefully wipe Kaiba's eyelashes free from dust. Kaiba held still, his eyes closed, waiting patiently, then he merely said "Thanks", before turning around and saying: "Let's go upstairs, I need a shower."  
Jounouchi hurried up the stairs after him and took the opportunity to look his backside up and down. He looked absolutely strange in this outfit, but absolutely gorgeous. Like a crazy genius. Like an extremely sexy artisan, only with much more brains and a much finer face.  
He heard Kaiba rummaging around in the kitchen and followed him, leaned onto the doorframe and watched him getting the Italian coffee maker ready, then, just as he was about to suggest they might use the chance and get a nice wet hot shower together, Kaiba strode by, saying: "Be there in a minute, just make yourself comfortable", and then he was up the stairs like some elegant whirlwind. Jounouchi sighed and let himself fall on 'his' chair on the eating table. Whatever, he thought, clean and dry Kaiba would be nice, too.

When Kaiba rushed in with wet hair, but fully dressed, just in time for the coffee maker to demand his attention, he prepared coffee for the two and then said down on the table, falling back agains the back rest as if it was the first time to sit and breath for days.  
Jounouchi smiled softly. It might be about the truth.  
"So what are you working on?", he asked. Only then he found out that he shouldn't have, as Kaiba didn't stop talking about this new divice he had been creating that was like a portable Virtual Reality pod as he understood it, for about half an hour, only stopped by his phone, Mokuba telling him he'd be over in an hour and bring Osamu for dinner, and he should finish whatever he had to, because Mokuba would insist on cooking with them, which actually meant for them, with the two kids mostly eating half the ingredients and standing in the way endlessly chitchatting about school.  
"Nice you came over", Kaiba said before rushing off the kitchen, not even caring to tell Jounouchi what to do now, but came back a second later to say. "Why don't you wait for the boys, would be nice to have at least one more person to make sure some of the ingredients are actually going to end up in the pan."  
Jounouchi smiled, and agreed, and then rolled his eyes and sighed. Good to see Kaiba's rather strange humour was coming back, but he would have rather liked his horniness would make a reappearance, too. At least the Kaibas had a huge television.

Indeed, Jounouchi's job turned out to be entertaining the boys while Kaiba prepared dinner. He was a good cook, which totally irritated Jounouchi, but on the other hand there wasn't a single thing Kaiba wasn't excellent in though he usually refrained from everything he didn't care about.  
Actually, he got the steak so exactly to the point that it was nearly spooky, making Jounouchi wander if he might even have experience with that.  
He didn't bother getting much more on their plates than salad and a huge hump of baby cow, so he was done in no time, then when the boys were still occupied with a match of Duel Monsters on the couch table (the glass one which Kaiba still avoided if possible), he gave them five more minutes and bridged the time by frying some bread in olive oil for everyone.  
The food was great, and Jounouchi catched himself thinking that it was kind of a bummer that the boys took up all of their attention. He hadn't had a decent conversation with Kaiba in what felt like weeks, and he was extremely keen on getting a private moment with him for some private things to do. Mostly sex. But also talk. Not the technical talk Kaiba had given him this afternoon, but real talk. How things were going. If he was fine. How they were going to do this thing they did when Kaiba was not at home most of the time anymore.  
Stripped of the possibility to do a lot of things he had used to do before, Kaiba had often been bored, and therefore was not too opposed to Jounouchi being with him quite often in the evenings. Now he didn't even seem to notice how rare these opportunities had become. Of course, it had only been a bit over a week, but Jounouchi couldn't shake the feeling this would not change notibly in the next time.  
When they finished, Mokuba was in quite a rush to get back to their game, but didn't fail to ask "Are you two playing, too?"  
Jounouchi raised his eyebrows, looking at Kaiba questioningly, who just said: "Wash your hands before touching the cards", and then, after a moment of consideration added: "I battle the winner, how dies that sound?"  
"You make a tournament out of everything, don't you?", Jounouchi sneered, but was pleased nonetheless. He could remember only too well how pissed Kaiba had been at not being able to play.  
"I don't know what you're talking about", he answered as if he really didn't, which was of course not true at all.  
"And you, Jou?", Mokuba asked, groaning as if in pain as Osamu activated a trap card that cost him his best monster on the field.  
"I battle the winner of the winners", he grinned. When he looked sidewards, he knew Kaiba would love to be down there in his workshop much rather than being here playing a childrens card game with actual children, but to Jounouchi's now not too big surprise anymore, he didn't complain but sat down on the arm rest of the couch, stretching his endless legs next to the glass table with ust enough space between to feel comfortable, and crossed his forearms casually, watching the game in patience without interfering even once, though there were some gruel mistakes done for sure.

"Will I ever be able to beat you in Duel Monsters?", Jounouchi asked frustratedly when he shed off his shirt and threw it over the chair.  
"I really can't imagine", Kaiba said, smirking nearly imperceptibly.  
"You ass", Jounouchi growled, but then decided he did not want to talk about it but actually occupy himself with something else.  
When he climbed in the huge bed and crawled under a the covers, Kaiba went to switch off the light and strode over slowly in the complete dark. Jounouchi couldn't help but be a bit disappointed, as he thought now that Kaiba was back to seeing, they should keep the light on to explore their new possibilities in full. But then he heard a soft clicking noise and knew it was Kaiba's glasses, tenderly put down on the bedside table, and then the covers shifted and the matress moved a bit and he felt the body slip in on the other side of the bed.  
He was about to reach for Kaiba, when he notices him turning to the side, back to him, yawning loudly and mumbling: "What an evening. The boys are going to kill me one day. I swear, my head is going to crack."  
"Uh...", Jounouchi whispered, frozen in the movement with his hand nearly but not quite touching Kaiba's shoulder. Than he let it fall down and curled up. Well. What was one more day?


	14. About proximity again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update because short ones and I like the cliff hanger of this one better :D  
> Anyone still reading this?

"Listen. We have to talk", Jounouchi said heavily, but dead serious as soon as he was sure Mokuba had reached all the way up to the bathroom and closed the door, getting ready for bed.  
Kaiba looked up in surprise.  
"Talk?", he repeated, as if that was something Jounouchi and he had never done before and the pure thought of it was just completely absurd.  
"Yes. I really thought I could avoid it, but I don't think, I can, anymore...", he shifted uncomfortably on his hard kitchen chair and crossed his legs at the ankles, tapping his toes to the ground twice in a nervous gesture, leaning forward, then back.  
Kaiba didn't look like he liked that idea at all, first raising his eyebrows, then frowning, then, after a while, he did turn to Jounouchi with his full body and sat steadily, showing that he had his attention.  
"Ok. What have I done?", he asked, but it didn't sound annoyed, but just serious and attentive, his voice was even soft and low and made Jounouchi wonder if he was actually worried.  
"It's not really that you... did something, it's more...", Jounouchi started squirming and Kaiba rose his eyebrows again.  
Finally, Jounouchi drew a huge breath, let it out very slowly, gulped heavily and stealed his gaze, before he said: "Look. We didn't have sex in weeks. Something's not alright. And I wanna know what is it. That's all there really is."  
Kaiba's eyebrows had nearly reached his hairline, Jounouchi thought, though he could only guess as they had long disappeared under Kaiba's now back to normally cut bangs.  
"That's totally not true. It can't be more than -", he began, but Jounouchi shook his head violently.  
"No! I thought that one through, really. You see, the last time was the day before your appointment in the clinique, which was a week after my birthdayparty, which was two days after my birthday, so that makes it the date -"  
This time Kaiba interfered: "It was the fourth of february, I know."  
"Yeah, and then you were away for five days, then you were in the hospital, then I understand, with all those cuts, and everything, it was not suitable kinda, but that was four weeks ago and your elbow has nearly fully healed and the cuts and bruises are fine and it's not like you're exactly careful with your body in everything else you do, so I thought -"  
Kaiba hadn't said a word. He sat there, leaned back in his chair, frowning, and looked, what... confused? Jounouchi stopped, searching for words, and also not really into saying the next thing out loud, but finally, with a frustrated and somewhat frightened face, said: "I thought it's maybe because your sight is back and you realized that I... I... I don't know. That I'm not... what you want, really. But it's been a while and I waited and you haven't said anything and so I thought, maybe you just didn't find a good moment to like, end this, so here I thought I might go and help you a little...?"  
His voice had become lower and more nervous till the end, and Kaiba not interrupting him had given him the feeling of having to explain further and further.  
Finally, he stopped and clenched his hands and looked, and Kaiba sat there with his arms crossed and looked pissed and stared at him in a death glance.  
"So. Are you quite done with the bullshit?", he finally asked.  
"What?", Jounouchi just said, breathless from confusion and heartbeating.  
"I asked", Kaiba said, this time pronouncing every word very clearly as if to someone stupid: "Are you quite done with all the bullshit? Because I really don't see any reason to occupy myself with your stupid little girls worries, like 'oh my god, my hair doesn't look perfect, he won't like me like that! Since when are we operating on this level anyways?!" He sneered.  
"Dafuck, Kaiba?!", Jounouchi groaled. "I am really at a loss here and you have nothing better to do than make fun of me?"  
"Yes, because this is utter bullshit, and I will tell you again if you ask again, I will give it to you notationally if you need it written down."  
"You're such an asshole, you know?"  
"And you're such a sissy.."  
"You have to talk, mister 'I cover my scars with make-up'"  
"Careful there, Rambo!"  
"Ok, sorry, that might have been an inch too far. But still. That's not the answer to my question!"  
"Which is?"  
"Whis is, why aren't we having sex anymore?"  
"Well, I don't know, I hadn't noticed it was so long, I had other things on my mind. You could have started something if you needed it so much."  
Jounouchi gave him a sour look for the last remark, but nonetheless kept pushing. This had to be solved, or they would continue with that very same problem, whatever it was.  
"I did try to start something all the time! You were always superstrange about it. Like, ignoring me or just turning away or changing subjects."  
"You are absolutely imagining this. There is no problem at all, get over it."  
"There IS a problem!", Jounouchi grew rather frustrated now.  
"There is not."  
"Ok!", Jounouchi finally said triumphantly: "Then what about I'm coming over and you prove it right now."  
"Sure, why not?", Kaiba said, rolling his eyes but giving him a grim look, then got up from his seat and disentangled his arms. Jounouchi got up quickly, walked around the table and stopped only inches from Kaiba, looking up questioningly, then he extended his hands and gently lay them on Kaiba's front. Nothing happened, Kaiba just looked down on him grumpily.  
He moved his hands around the sides to his back slowly. Kaiba didn't even blink. Then he stepped even closer, until his belly touched Kaiba's, and his hands moved down to cup Kaiba's ass, and then finally, he felt the little flinch, although Kaiba didn't say anything, just continued his grim staring, that made Jounouchi shudder invisibly. He held his posture about five more seconds.  
"You see, you are imagining. Let's clear the table and get going, I need to finish a couple of things before going to bed", he finally said, slightly turning and retreating from the 'kind-of-embrace', but Jounouchi grabbed his sides in a death grip.  
"There! See? You did it again! You changed subjects, you avoid me!"  
"I did no such thing!", Kaiba answered dismissively and tried to turn again, but Jounouchi didn't let go, and there was an awkward silence with Jounouchi staring determinedly, and Kaiba just looking confused, and then he finally said: "I suppose I did." And then there was quite a pause before he added: "That's not good, is it...?"  
"So you didn't even notice?"  
Kaiba frowned. "... I don't think so..."  
"But now you saw, didn't you?"  
"I think I did." He raised a hand in slowmotion and rubbed his forehead. Jounouchi could practically feel the confusion leaking out of him, although he didn't admit it.  
"Let's go upstairs and figure this out, alright?", he suggested, releasing his grip on Kaiba finally, patting his waist linkishly as if to apologize for the harsh treatment.  
"Ok...", Kaiba said, looking at him one last time before turning around.

They stood in front of each other, confused, not knowing what to do with each other, but Jounouchi had the feeling Kaiba would not help him out, and also it was kind of his duty to figure that out, as he had started that shit.  
"Can I take off your shirt?", he asked softly, drawing nothing more than a shrug from Kaiba, which was enough for him to start on his dressshirt buttons, like always, he had a lot of practise in that by now. Kaiba stood stock still, looking down on him, until he finally had all the buttons open, exposing a chest that seemed even thinner than usual, and gently grabbing Kaiba's hands to undo his wristbands, than he let them fall back and brushed the shirt off his shoulders, watched as it fell down, sliding over his smooth skin silkily.  
"Can I touch, then, too?", he inquired and Kaiba rolled his eyes for an answer, telling him unvocally not to ask stupid questions. It was not a stupid question at all, Jounouchi thought, but was not about to argue with Kaiba at the moment. He laid his hands flat on Kaiba's chest. Kaiba just looked down, unmoving, seemingly annoyed. Then he moved his hands, following the exact same path as down in the kitchen, back around his sides, to the small of his back, then downwards, lower, until resting them on his butt. The flinch, again. Nearly imperceptible. He wasn't sure if Kaiba even noticed.  
"Uhm... Take off your pants?", Jounouchi asked, this time he really felt uncomfortable, but Kaiba just reached down, opened his belt, his button, zipper, Jounouchi quickly took his hands away from Kaiba's backside as he shoved the waisband about an inch down before the trousers and underpants slid down his silky legs on their own. He had become thinner for sure. He didn't care to step out of his pants on the ground, just stood there, back to unmoving, never even once had his stare left Jounouchi's eyes. And he patiently waited for Jounouchi to do something.  
Jounouchi's hands moved back to Kaiba's butt, now naked, and he lay them down, very carefully, on the skin just above the line curving into his cheeks, then he let them run down extremely slowly, watching Kaiba's every move. At first, nothing happened, than, when he was low enough, his hands gripped down carefully, sensually, and Kaiba flinched again. This time, it wasn't difficult to tell.  
"Well that's new", he finally said.  
Kaiba seemed to swallow, then blinked, and then, finally, raised his hands slowly and laid them on Jounouchi's forearms, as if to pull them away, but he didn't, then let his hands fall down.  
"So you dislike that", Jounouchi concluded.  
"I think so", Kaiba answered. It occured to Jounouchi he had been stating things in this manner, careful, inconclusive, diplomatic, during the whole evening.  
"More than before I take it."  
"Yes."  
"Well. So now we found the problem. At least." Jounouchi gave a shy smile and pulled his hands up Kaiba's back again, not willing to make him feel more uncomfortably than necessary.  
"Is this ok?", he asked, just standing there with his hands gently braushing the back of Kaiba's waist with his fingertips.  
"Yes." Jounouchi got the feeling he wouldn't get a much more enthusiastic approach on this from him tonight.  
"What about this?", he asked, testingly pulling the hands to Kaiba's sides, gripping down a bit stronger directly there at the leanest point of his torso. He got the flinch again.  
"Yes", Kaiba said, nonetheless.  
"I can feel you jerking, you know, doesn't make much sense denying shit right now."  
"I didn't 'jerk'", Kaiba stated defensively. He was so tense, his whole body seemed like active with electricity.  
"Whatever", Jounouchi just said, then stepped closer, shoving his arms around Kaiba's back completely, got to tiptoe and pressed him to himself in a very slow, gentle embrace, pushing his forehead to Kaiba's neck, smelling his shampoo.  
"How's this?", he asked, wondering but also enjoying how it felt to have Kaiba's completely naked body pressed to his fully dressed one. It made him feel he should get off his clothes, and at the same time it made him feel he should put some onto Kaiba, shelter him from cold and stares and touches. There was no flinch this time, but he got rather stiff.  
"When have I ever liked that?"  
"Huh. True. Do you dislike it more than before?"  
"Yes."  
Jounouchi pulled back and raised on of his hands to Kaiba's face, cupping his jaw and cheeks before kissing him tentatively, while he pressed them harder together with his other hand by the small of Kaiba's back.  
"This?"  
"It's ok", Kaiba merely said, his whole body stiff as a poker.  
Jounouchi sighed and let go of him, stepping back.  
"So, here is it. No wonder we can't have sex", he said, frustrated, but trying to keep it neutral.  
"Of course we can. When you stop cuddling me and just get to the point as we usually -"  
But Jounouchi cut him off. "It's not like before, Kaiba. It's not just that you don't care anymore. You dislike being touched. You dislike being close. I won't do it like that. It will be horrible!"  
"Don't be a drama queen", Kaiba said, rolling his eyes, his hands suddenly on the hem of Jounouchi's shirt, pulling it up, Jounouchi catched hold of them quickly to pull them away.  
"No. I mean it. Don't. It's gonna be horrible for the both of us. We're not doing it. End of the story."  
Kaiba looked at him as if he was plain out of his mind and it was really hard to reconstruct how that had happened. Then he simply bent down, pulled his pants back up, fastened them and strode past Jounouchi.  
"Whatever", he said, not caring about his dressshirt on the ground, and left Jounouchi alone in his bedroom. He turned to look after him but Kaiba didn't even give him one more glance.  
What had just happened? Was he dismissed than? On the other hand, they hadn't had sex the last four weeks and that hadn't stopped Kaiba from allowing him to come over, eat, chitchat, help Mokuba with his homework and stay over night in bed with him.  
He stood there quite a while, unsure of what to do, but in the end he put all his clothes over the chair and crawled in his boxers in Kaiba's bed. It wouldn't be worth waiting. If Kaiba had stuff to to, it could take hours. He still felt like a little monster had settled down in his stomach, pinching him constantly, but he was exhausted enough to doze off anyways.

He woke from the noise of the door opening, and the light flickering on, the door closing pretty noisily. It hurt his eyes when he opened them, so he hurriedly closed them. Kaiba made a few quick steps into the room, then stopped. Nothing moved for a moment, then, slower, quiter, he went back to the door and swiched off the light. Then he got rid of his clothes and finally Jounouchi felt the soft weight on the matrace next to him.  
"Are you done?", he asked sleepily, but tried to get more aware so he could be attentive to Kaiba's reaction.  
Kaiba's head turned to him in the dark. "Didn't know you were still here", he said softly: "Sorry, I didn't want to wake you."  
"Na, is fine really", Jounouchi answered, yamning, rubbing his eyes.  
"Still pretty chilly, right?", he said, and Kaiba sighed, did nothing for while, then moved over gently, getting a bit closer. Jounouchi hesitated first, then met him half way, one arm over his back, while Kaiba mirrored him, one leg between Kaiba's, his forehead to Kaiba's neck comfortably. He didn't flinch this time. "This ok?", Jounouchi asked gently.  
"Yes", Kaiba answered and as he seemingly got aware of how few this statement was worth, he added: "Very much."  
"It's gonna be alright", Jounouchi finally said faintly. " 'S just gonna need some time."  
Kaiba didn't answer, but he did, curiously, shove his arm down under Jounouchi's head and laid his hand on the back of his head, fingers softly entertwined with his chaotic bed hair.


	15. About solution finding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Better don't read this one at work :D

"So. I have a solution for our problem, I think", Jounouchi stated. He had just arrived at Kaiba's, it was about nive pm and Mokuba was at the movies with Osamu's family. It had started getting warmer last week and today was the first day Jounouchi had not worn his winterjacket, which had left him just euphoric enough to do this now.  
Kaiba cocked an eyebrow at him but did not even care to say hello, just stood there in the doorway while Jounouchi shrugged out of his jacket, then his light scarf, hung everything on the wardrobe, toed his shoes off and grabbed his messenger bag, which Kaiba eyed suspiciously.  
"Don't look at me like that, it's ingenios, I promise!", he said, rummaging around, then he pulled the cuffs out. Not the cheap ones with the fur. Really badass, steal, police ones.  
Kaiba stared at them. Then at him. He didn't move. He didn't speak. For a really long time. Jounouchi started to think there might be something about this he hadn't considered, and then, very slowly, Kaiba made one step back. It looked really awkward. Jounouchi wasn't sure if he had ever seen Kaiba do this, back up like that as if scared. His gaze flickered up from the cuffs to Jounouchi's face for a second and back.  
"I don't think I fully understand what you're driving at", he eventually said in a slow, careful tone. And this was the moment comprehension flooded Jounouchi's head like a tsunamy flooded an ocean cave.  
"Fuck!", he swore, making a step forward, letting his triumphant hand with the cuffs sink: "For christ's sake! Not for you, for me!" He made another step and Kaiba looked like he wanted to back up more for a second but then didn't, his gaze settled on Jounouchi's face in the end.  
"Jesus, I would never, I wouldn't even", he mumbled, gesturing a bit helpless, but Kaiba had seemingly already stopped being all out of character. "So we are officially back to your crazy bondage blind people fetish?", he sneared, cocking an eyebrow.  
"No! Man! I'm sorry. Oh man, shouldn't have started it that way I guess", Jounouchi sighed, rolling his eyes about his own stupidity.  
"Look, let me explain, yeah?" He went over, bridging the few meters between them, and realized Kaiba's gaze flickered down to the cuffs in his left hand for the split of a second, as if he was fearing there was a slight possibility Jounouchi might just use the moment of surprise on him to cuff his hands and have his wicked way with him. But he seemed to know this was an unreasonable worry as he didn't back up further and his gaze was more quizzically than distrustful now. He didn't say anything, but there was no real need, either.  
"Ok, so. I think what happened... you know... then... brought up some old memories and this seems to have reinforced your... thing... with the, you know, touching and all."  
He made a pause to give Kaiba a chance to say something, but he only tilted his head slightly which was probably something like an agreement, then he twitched his chin up lightly to tell him he was welcome to go on explaining his thesis.  
"And I am relatively sure that it is not the actual touching itself that you dislike, because you don't mind at all if it's accidental, and there are some things you actually like, or at least you liked them before, you know. Like, rubbing through your hair when you have a headache. Or, dunno, scratching the back of your neck, this stuff...?"  
He made another pause and Kaiba kept perfectly still, with his head a bit tilted like that, attentive but relaxed.  
"And you don't mind touching others, like, Mokuba for example. You comb his hair. You shove him around. You pat his shoulders. And me, you, dunno, you tidy my hair when it annoys you. Sometimes you put your hand on my shoulder or... my leg, you know, when it's comfortable, when we're one the sofa or something. I mean, you just do it, it doesn't bother you at all."  
Another pause like an unvisible questionmark between them, and Kaiba nodded him to continue again.  
"So I came to think that it's not the touching or the proximity that bothers you. But when someone is close enough to touch you, it means he can do it again. And you don't like that possibility. You don't like that you can't controll that. That people can just reach out and grope you if they feel like it. Because you don't know if it's gonna be good or bad and your experiences tought you that every touch is a potential assault. So being close to people means for you the possibility to be assaulted, and your body reacts to that by, ya know, this whole thing. Tensing, twitching, this, this urge to back up and get some space between you and the person."  
Kaiba had not said anything until now, only looked at him intensely, but this time when he stopped talking for a second, Kaiba did answer.  
"So. Freud. You think I am traumatised."  
"Well. Basically you are, you can't deny that."  
"This is utter nonsense."  
"It's fucking not and you fucking know it. It's not that you don't like being touched. You like it. You like the feel of it. You crave for it! But most times you're so wary it doesn't feel good. It stresses you, so you can't enjoy it."  
"Yeah, stay with this image if that makes you happy", Kaiba looked positively pissed now, crossing his arms in a way that probably was supposed to look cool but made him appear all defensive.  
"Don't be stupid, you know this is true! You keep telling yourself that you simply don't care for the whole cuddle-thingy and all. But you do! You like it. When you're really relaxed and you feel safe, you aren't opposed to touching at all. When you're tired you're fully fine when I snuggle up to you like, really close and all. And it's also gotten much better over time. You know, I see how it freaks you out if a stranger touches you. But it doesn't freak you out if I do anymore. It makes you a bit uncomfortable lately, but it's not nearly as much as you would with other people, or with me a year ago. And why? Because you trust me! Because you know there is nothing to fear, I won't stab you in the back, I won't rip off your clothes if you don't want me to, I won't harm you!"  
"Yes, fine, I like you touching me better than most other people doing it, which is perfectly normal as we are sexually involved. Don't get all jittery about it."  
"No! No, that's just not it! Look, you get a clean hair cut every four weeks. So every month you go to a hairdresser. You've let the very same woman cut your hair for years! And if she's on vacation you don't go to another. Ever!"  
"Well, she is a good hairdresser!"  
"No! She is the only hairdresser you can stand! Sitting on a chair watching in the mirror how people treat your head and neck with sharp objects must be excruciating for you! I understand that! But you know, normal people don't fear the hairdresser to kill them, no matter how many knifes they use."  
"Don't be ridiculous, I don't fear the hairdresser!"  
"You fucking do! You even fear me! See!", he closed the last gap between them fast enough for Kaiba not to stop him and grabbed his shirt hem, ripping it up, while he pressed their hips together with his hand gripping Kaiba's backside tightly. Kaiba nearly toppled over from trying to bring some air between them, but Jounouchi held on tight. He knew if Kaiba would feel really anxious he would have the strengh to get rid of him easily, but he was still trying to play the 'no problem' game, which enabled Jounouchi to get the shirt over Kaiba's head after some jostling, then got a hold on Kaiba's left forearm while Kaiba was pressing against him with the other.  
"Stop it, what the fuck are you even trying to prove?!", he shouted, but his confusion and probably the wish not to harm Jounouchi and not to allow this to grow into a full fight got the better of him, and Jounouchi managed to guide him backwards until his back hit the wall. Kaiba jerked, nearly jumped as his back made contact with it roughly and his eyes widened. Jounouchi had the hands on Kaiba's belt in the blink of an eye, taking advantage of his confusion, opening it in two seconds, button and zipper, then pushed the facric down, they slid down his legs effortlessly, probably for a mixture of the silky facric and the approximately ten or fifteen pounds Kaiba had lost over the last weeks. Only when he had Kaiba there, back to wall, arms pinned up to the wall, in nothing but boxers, he became fully aware of what had happened and how strange it was that he had the strength and skill to have even managed to do so.  
Obviously Kaiba realized the very same, as he chose this exact moment to free his arms and gripped Jounouchi's, holding them so tight around his wrists that it hurt, and turned them around, making Jounouchi smash into the wall this time, causing him to whince.  
"Are you completely out of your mind?!", Kaiba asked, eyes burning, his face scarily rageful. When Jounouchi looked up at him he was actually scared of getting punched or worse, but then Kaiba just stood there over him, staring him down, clutching his arms so tight Jounouchi felt like they'd snap, and he didn't dare to say anything, just stared back terribly intimidated, then after what felt like ages he felt Kaiba's hands loosen their death grip slowly, and Kaiba exhaled, and then he let go completely and Jounouchi pulled his hands down, not sure if he should dodge Kaiba as long as he could, but he didn't, just looked up as the rage slowly flooded out of the other man's face, and made room for something else. It was mostly mere exhaustion honestly. Then, in slow motion, Kaiba bent forward and leaned his forehead on the wall diagonally over Jounouchi's head, one hand flat to the wall, while the other closer to Jounouchi softly laid on his upper arm. He didn't say another word, just stayed like this, eyes closed Jounouchi assumed, and breathed slowly. Jounouchi didn't dare to speak, waiting for whatever to happen and if it would take all night, but eventually Kaiba slowly shiftet his head, until it rested with his cheek to the side top of Jounouchi's head, skin to hair, where he stayed still.  
"I am sorry", he finally whispered in Jounouchi's hair: "I didn't want to scare you. I am really sorry."  
Jounouchi slowly raised his hands, laid one on Kaiba's bare side and reached one up high to stroke through his hair featherly.  
"You didn't", he said. Which was a lie. But it had been totally and entirely his own fault. He had been so stupid. Not only had he done something to Kaiba which he perfectly well knew scared the crap out of him, he had also forced him into a corner, making it impossible for Kaiba to get out of the situation in any other way then by using force in return. He should be happy really that it hadn't escalated completely.  
And now there Kaiba was, feeling guilty for only having defended himself. He was such an ass...  
"It's fine. Really. You didn't do anything. I wasn't scared. I trust you. I know you would never do anything to me.", he said lowly while going on stroking: "I am terribly sorry, Seto. I didn't want it to escalate like that. I just wanted to, dunno, show you that -"  
Kaiba cut him off, though lacking any force in his voice when saying: "Don't do this to me. Please. Anyone but you."  
Only then Jounouchi realized in full what he had really risked to happen by this stupid try to demonstrate. He had risked to lose Kaiba's trust. And when that happened, it happened for good.  
"I am so sorry", he repeated, then slowly shoved his arm further around the other and leaned forwand, bringing their body's together softly, the other hand still in his hair.  
"Will you please see a therapist about this?", he asked against Kaiba's neck, who had given in to the embrace by now and had his arms around Jounouchi losely.  
"No. But I will see to... to deal with... this", he answered.  
When Jounouchi sighed and shifted slightly, something clinked on the floor. It was the cuffs being nudged by his foot. He sighed again.  
"Do you trust me?", he asked softly, feeling something moving in his belly that was probably fear of the answer.  
"I do."  
He exhaled, exhausted but relieved. "Then trust me with this", he bid.  
"I will."

"So this is really what you want?", Kaiba asked warily.  
"Yeah", Jounouchi answered withough hesitation. "It's gonna work. I promise!"  
"And you don't feel... Bad about it?", he continued to inquire. Obviously he was absolutely determined not to believe anyone could ever be fine with such a thing to be done to them.  
"Seto. It's fine. I trust you. This doesn't make me feel uncomfortable at all. On the contrary. If anything, I'm a bit excited because I hope this means I'm gonna have sex and I didn't have any for ages, and I'm horny for you about all the time, so, yeah. Go ahead, please!"  
"Huh", Kaiba said, as if at a loss for what to say to bring Jounouchi back to reason, but then he gave up and reached for the cuffs next to them on the bed, then stretched, his long naked torso bowing nicely over Jounouchi lying on his back with his hands invitatingly clutching the headboard. Kaiba looked down at him to reassure one more time, and Jounouchi nearly rolled his eyes, but then just nodded determinedly, and he heard the metallic snatch. When he moved his hands testingly, he found the cuffs were so lose he would probably get is hands free easily, but it didn't really matter as long as he'd ust not try.  
"Good. Now. Feel free to do whatever you want. Don't worry I'd not like it. I will tell you if something's not alright."  
When Kaiba resumed his former position on all fours over him, he nodded, then started with opening Jounouchi's trousers, freeing his painfully restrained erection, causing Jounouchi to moan right away. Then he crawled backwards a bit to gently rid Jounouchi of his socks and jeans, pulled down his briefs carefully, which Jounouchi happily helped with by pushing his hips up from the bed.  
As Kaiba wasn't wearing too much anyomore already, it didn't take more than kicking down his boxers, then shve them off the bed with his foot to finish the job of getting them both completely naked. Kaiba reached to the side and pulled the blanket over them, warming their bottom halfs at least, making Jounouchi hide his grin again.  
It was rather obvious he was procratinating, not knowing what to do.  
"Look", Jounouchi said, angling his legs up and spreading them a bit: "You're horny, right?" It was a rethorical question. They both had a hard-on since basically entering the bedroom. He didn't have to look down to check again.  
"I am", Kaiba answered.  
"Well. Me too. How about we get this over with and have some nice sweet vanilla sex later. Because if you don't do me right now I'm gonna come from imagining you doing it."  
This surprisingly did get Kaiba to smirk. He hesitated for a second, then pulled his upper lips up playfully. It made Jounouchi think of a vampire baring his fangs. It was hot as fuck. Though he hadn't more than three seconds to look at it, then Kaiba was gone and the next thing he felt was -  
"Fucking – Fuck!", he screamed. Kaiba sucked so hard he worried about his brain being vacuumed out through his dick.   
Then suddenly was Kaiba's hand creeping up his face, touching his chin... No need to ask twice, he thought as he raised his head and opened his mouth, nearly biting Kaiba's fingers in the process, sucking them as if trying to choke himself, but Kaiba pulled them out before he could do so, and then Kaiba's fingers split him apart. He cried out. They hadn't done anything for so long felt like a freaking virgin all over again. "Careful, bastard!", he groaned, but raised his legs obediently over Kaiba's shoulders. It didn't affect Kaiba in the slightest, who just continued sucking him, fingering him hard, demandingly. He had never really cared to ask twice if he wanted something, and he seemingly had decided that Jounouchi had assured him it was going to be fine enough times, there was no need to wait for permission for anything now.  
It was probably one of the things that he found so incredibly hot about the other. His fucking demanding 'I'll take care of things and you will like it if you want or not' thing.  
Just when he thought he'd come any second, Kaiba pulled his mouth off and looked up. His cheeks were burning red and his lips wet up to the tip of his nose. He smirked and wiped his face against Jounouchi's knee over his shoulder before brushing it off and stretching for the top drawer of the night stand, the task of getting the lube out while continuing to finger-fuck Jounouchi sure was acrobatic, but he managed just well.  
"Hurry man", Jounouchi whined, thrusting against his fingers.  
"Shut up", Kaiba growled, but grinned, and then he was back over him. He pushed Jounouchi's right leg up with his hand under his thigh until it nearly hit his chest, then replaced his fingers with his dick in a thrust so smooth Jounouchi didn't fully feel when one had left and the other had entered him, but it was good. He let his eyes fall close and opened his mouth in a deep moan as he felt it slipping deeper inside him, deeper, until he was so stuffed nothing else would ever fit in there.  
"God I missed your dick", he breathed, and Kaiba gave a short half-snort-half chuckle. He opened his eyes when he felt something tickling his face. Kaiba was bent over him, his hairtips brushing Jounouchi's cheeks, then he dipped a bit deeper, let his teetch scratch over his chin, downwards, pushing his chin up, exposing his neck, gently biting the side of his neck, then suddenly thrust his hip against Jounouchi's.  
"Fuck!", he groaned, making Kaiba chuckle again.  
He didn't care to look what happened, not being able to do much but lying here practically enabled him to just do exaclty this, lie on his back lazily, letting himself be fucked, touched, kissed, teased. Why hadn't he thought of this much sooner? It was the perfect mixture of excitement and relaxation. He could do this every day. Except for the days he wanted to grope Kaiba's lean body, feel his skin under his fingertips, scratch his back, squeeze his sides hard until he did this thing, stretching, arching his torso away inwards, away from the fingers digging into his flesh. Except for the days he wanted to burry his fingers in Kaiba's flesh, or better, deep down his ass, make him beg for more. His fingers twiched from the wanton.  
He tried to distract himself from the urge to touch, listening to the sounds, Kaiba's panting, the wet sound of the penetration, the rustling of the covers... He wandered what it was like for Kaiba. He seemed to enjoy it, so much was clear. When he wrapped his legs around his waist and pulled him in further, he gave a surprised little gasp, turning into a moan at the end, then loughed. And fucked him harder. When Jounouchi opened his eyes the next time, Kaiba was propped up on his arms, looking down at him. His lips were slightly opened, moaning his nearly silent moan with every thrust, his eyes half shut and hooded, hot burning cheeks, a little bit of sweat on them. Jounouchi smiled between two gasps, then bit his lip. Looking at Kaiba like this made it harder not to come. What did Kaiba see? What was it like?  
He had a sudden flash of Kaiba under him chained to the bed, groaning at him, begging him to go faster, and he would grab his ankle and pull it up over his shoulder, and then embrace his thigh, hold it tight, and thrust hard, making Kaiba scream -  
"Oh god!", he cried, arching off the mattrass.  
Kaiba smirked. He bent down lower, supported his weight on one forearm on the bed over Jounouchi's head, then slid his other hand under his neck and into his hair, gripped it firmly, though not painfully, and bent his head down, breathing in his ear, then he whispered: "You are having way too much fun for a sex toy."  
It send a jolt of pleasure through Jounouchi's whole body, and next thing he knew was Kaiba was back to fucking him hard, fast, gripping down hard on his hair, until his back arched again, and he swore "Oh god, oh god, fuck!" and gripped the headboard for dear life, and came, and ripped his head free of Kaiba's grip, turned it and was just fast enough to get him by surprise when kissing him hard, thrusting their tongues together, and clamping his legs around Kaiba's hip vice-like, and this finally seemed to be all it really needed, for Kaiba cried in his mouth first, then drew his head down and burried it in the crook of Jounouchi's shoulder as his hands both clutched the covers next to Jounouchi's head, thrusting deep and strong until it was over.  
They stayed unmoving, just panting, for minutes.  
Jounouchi's dick twitched as he imagined Kaiba bent over face down over his desk with his hands tied behind his back. Or completely tied up, not able to move one limb even one inch, on his side, on the bed, the things he would do to him...  
Oh god, Kaiba was right about this kinky crazy bondage blind guy fetish... Well, for now it was enough just to know he was back to having sex at all. And maybe they could have some vanilla sex now, too.


	16. About Payback

"I'm going to be out late this evening", Kaiba said casually while taking the milk out of the fridge for Jounouchi's coffee.  
"So you mean I shouldn't bother to come over?"  
"Basically yes."  
"Oh well. I already promised Mokuba to go to the movies with him tonight, thought he had already asked you to come, too..." He wasn't really surprised nor disappointed, they spent quite a lot of time together lately, one evening didn't really make a difference. Besides, it was often enough that Kaiba came around just for dinner with Mokuba and him, then headed back to work and got back late, not really caring if Jounouchi was in his bed or not, which sometimes he was and some others he wasn't, depending on how late it had gotten with Mokuba and if there was a lot of homework to do and how well he got along with his father at the moment, which changed about weekly. Also, Jounouchi had come to the understanding that he should spend more time with his friends in order to appease them, which worked out just well by going out for a beer with Tristan or have a Duel Monsters sleepover party at Yugi's every other evening.  
"So you have to work late?", he asked while pouring a generous amount of milk in his half full cup of coffee, over which Kaiba didn't even raise a brow anymore.  
"No. But I have something else to take care of."  
"Uh. Ok...?", he said, looking at him questioningly for a second, but knew better than to try and get business information out of Kaiba.  
"Stay or go home, I doesn't really matter. I'm going to need the car though so better get hail yourself a cab if it gets late", he said, leaning back at the kitchen counter, steaming cup of coffee in both hands. They stayed like this for a while, just content with the few moments of morning peace, Jounouchi dozing on the table, leaning heavily on his propped up arm, Kaiba staring into the distance with a pensieve, distant expression on his face. The spring had brought back the first birds and Jounouchi heavily assumed that every single one of those fuckers had settled in Kaiba's garden, but definitely all the louder ones had. It was a deafening orchestra that made Jounouchi want to shoot each single one of them when waking up in the morning from the noise streaming through the slightly ajar window of Kaiba's bedroom.  
Spring on the other hand had brought mild clima, too, so he kept trying not to contemplate too much.

The peace was broken by Mokuba hurrying into the kitchen, schoolbag in hand, looking disheveled but happy as every morning.  
"Ready?", Kaiba asked, pushing himself from the counter and downing the rest of the coffee.  
"Absolutely."  
"You too?", Kaiba asked, turning back to him.  
"Yeah, give me ten minutes."  
"You have six. I'll be right back and fetch you" Jounouchi frowned. Kaiba had gotten his license directly after his birthday before the winter, but obviously had had few time to make use of it. After the last appointment at the clinique he had made a hell of a fuzz about getting his eyesight being attested sufficient (which had been a problem as he had absolutely no 3D-perception with only one seeing eye) so he could go back to drive himself. Eventually, it had worked out and about two weeks ago he had gotten back his licence. Since then he wasn't going so much as five meters without the BMW, not caring about any of the inconveniences it brought to drive your own car, like having to find a parking spot around school, which was only fifteen minutes by foot from his place. Most of the time they ended up walking the same amount of time to school from where he had parked the car than they would have from home entirely. It was a testosterone-thing though, Jounouchi knew. For some reason Kaiba thought he could prove to everyone at the bureau for traffic safety that they had been wrong about him if he just spent enough time in his car. It was ridiculous really. But Jounouchi had a feeling he soon would have proved enough.  
He downed the rest of his nearly cold milk coffee, standing up and putting the cup down on the counter on the way out and made a bee-line for the bathroom to brush his teeth. If Kaiba said six minutes, it would be five minutes fifty seconds.  
He just wished proving his worthiness to the bureau of traffic safety wouldn't envolve such a lot of speeding in early rush-hour traffic.

He woke from the sound of the door, followed by soft footsteps on the wooden floor, but didn't care to open his eyes or say anything. He was too tired and Kaiba didn't usually require a 'good night' anyway. He would just come in without turning on the lights, slip in bed with an appropriate amount of space between them, gather himself some of the blanket Jounouchi had hogged (he had grown accustumed to hogging them both by now) and fall asleep instantly. He didn't need Jounouchi's attention for any of that and least of all a good-night-kiss.  
This time, however, after slipping in bed, Kaiba ldidn't just pull the blanket over he merely lifted it carefully, making out Jounouchi's position by tentatively brushing his hands over his shoulder in the dark, then he edged closer until they were fullbody spooning, leaning his face into Jounouchi's warm neck.  
"You ok?"; Jounouchi brought himself to ask, tired but confused enough to make the effort. Kaiba just hummed and put an arm over Jounouchi's body over the blanket, pulling him even closer until he could feel the soft fabric of Kaiba's briefs against his naked legs where his own underpants ended.  
"Yes", Kaiba simply said. He wiggled himself around under Kaiba's arm and snuggled up to Kaiba's front, allowing Kaiba to get his bottom arm under Jounouchi's head.  
"Really? You act strange", he asked, taking in Kaiba's damp hair and the smell of a freshly showered body.  
"I'm just exhausted."  
"Ok", he finally said, chosing not to give a fuck now, maybe tomorrow, but probably never. He only had time to feel Kaiba's nose nestle into his hair and his arms tighten slightly around him before he was back to sleep.

The next day was a saturday, so no-one had cared to set the alarm. Usually Kaiba was up early to get some work done before breakfast or simply have a peaceful cup of coffee before everyone was up, but this time, as he woke up Kaiba was fast asleep, entangled in Jounouchi's limbs. He blinked to clear his vision, then softly caressed Kaiba's upper arm that was warm and smooth and nice to the touch. He looked at his face right in front of him. It was absolutely still and peaceful, like always when he slept, exept for a little reddish brown stain of mashine oil or whatever at his hairline. He raised a hand to brush it away. It was persistent, so he didn't care to scrub as it wasn't worth waking him.  
Carefully, he disentangled them and crawled out of bed pulling the blanket back over Kaiba, then went to the bathroom for a good long shower with hopefully no Kaiba telling him to get the fuck done with it now. He yawned silently but heartly while opening the bathroom door that was connected to the bedroom by a small corridor, but when he opened his eyes, his yawn broke off as he nearly fell on his ass stumbling backwards. The room looked exactly like it had when he had brushed his teeth last night, but there was blood everywhere. At the white tiles on the floor. On the glass in the shower. On the white ceramic of the sink. There was a soaked cloth carelessly thrown over the toilet. And when he turned around, he saw the coat. It was Kaiba's white winter wool coat. He had worn it the day he had vanished. And hadn't worn it the day they had found him. Well. It was back. But it wasn't white anymore.  
It had been placed on the washing machine, carelessly folded in the middle. It was over and over full with red stains and darkly soaked blotches. He stared at it, frozen, for what felt like ages, then he brushed the cloth of the toilet, lifted the top and threw up his dinner.  
When he was done, he washed his face and mouth, careful not to touch any of the blood on the rim of the sink, and took a couple of deep breaths. Then he gripped the coat up gingerly between two fingers at one spot that looked cleaner than the rest, and went back to the bedroom. He stood next to the bed, only now realizing how much he was trembling.  
"Kaiba", he said. Nothing happened.  
"Kaiba!", he repeated, louder, and bent down to grab his shoulder, shaking it. Kaiba opened his eyes instantly.  
"What?", he asked tiredly, his voice hoarse from sleep.  
"What the fuck?!", Jounouchi spit, holding his coat up higher.  
"Oh. Yes. I got my coat back", Kaiba said. He looked up at Jounouchi with an expression absolutely unreadable. Jounouchi stared at him, bewildered and shocked and maybe a bit scared.  
"What have you done?", he asked quietly, frowning, determined to see and comprehend every little jerk in that face. Kaiba didn't seem to be very inclined to answer, he looked at the coat for quite a while, unblinking, then up to Jounouchi's face. Then he pushed himself up to a sitting position, the duvet fell to his lap. He wasn't wearing anything but his briefs. And there was a clearly fresh deep cut about the lenght of a hand on the right side of his body. The blanket had a dark blotch suspiciously close to the point it had been laying on Kaiba's waist. The covers that he had laid on were strained in light red. And now he looked at it closer, the mashine oil strain turned out to be made of dried blood, too. Even Kaiba's hand was spotted in red as he raised it to the hem of the blanket, though not sure if to pull it up or off to get on his feet.  
Jounouchi stared at him, too shocked to even remembering to let his mouth fall open, with an absolute blank expression mirroring the one Kaiba had. They stayed like this for a while, then Kaiba opened his mouth.  
"I told you, I had to take care of something", he said calmly.  
Now, Jounouchi's mouth did fall open slowly. It took him quite a while to say something however.  
"Fucking shit! Goddamn, you killed someone! You -", he raised his hand to pull at his hair as if it would help, turned away so he wouldn't have to look at the picture of white and red and Kaiba for just a second, then quickly went back to staring him down.  
"You killed someone and his blood is all over the place and probably all over you and you just went to bed and smeared that stuff onto me!", he cried out, incredulously, his voice heavy with blame and fear and distress.  
"I...", Kaiba started lowly, then broke off, obviously not sure what to say, as it was obviously just the truth. "I took a shower", he finally said lamely.  
They stayed, unmoving, unspeaking, for another while, until Jounouchi let the coat sink slowly and said: "Get that gash taped up before you come down for breakfast."  
And then he left the room, letting the coat fall to the floor just where he stood, grabbing his shirt and jeans from the chair by the door on the way.

Only when he entered the kitchen, his ability to think seemed to come back to him, and with quite a rush, that was. He washed his hands in the sink with the dish detergent for an unreasonable amount of time, then dried them on the dish towel and turned around to lean against the counter, suddenly feeling light headed.  
Kaiba had killed someone last night. He had planned it, he had done it, and he had probably gotten rid of the body in the only way he knew for sure would work just fine, considering the amount of blood in the bathroom. He also didn't seem to care that he knew, as he hadn't done a very good job concealing it. So either he was planning on offing him later anyways, which Jounouchi hoped he wasn't, or he was trusting him more deeply than any human being should trust another, which was rather unlikely, or he was still in shock and his brain couldn't cope with whatever he had done. Which would also explain a lot more. First of all, why had he not taped up his own bleeding wound upon arriving home, second why had he put the coat just there for everyone to see it, then the sloppy, if at all, cleaning job concerning both himself and the bathroom, and then the whole cuddling up story.  
Who in his right mind, after all, would kill someone, cut the body in pieces, get himself soaked all over, then have a quick shower not caring about any remains and just climb to bed to another person, snuggling up to them as if that was just a normal thing to do even. Now that Jounouchi thought about it, the way he had pulled Jounouchi to his body, he must have totally been pressed up right to that bleeding wound. It must have hurt. He probably hadn't even felt it. Maybe he hadn't even noticed until now that he had been injured. Carefully, and fearing the result, Jounouchi turned his head and shoulders to try and see his own back. He couldn't, so he walked over to the oven, using the dark glass at the font as a mirror, then turned around and looked, holding up his shirt with one hand. His back was smeared, there was no denying.  
He nearly threw up again but got a hold of himself at the last second, noting that he would really have to man up and stop getting nauseaus the second he saw or heard about blood if he was going to spend more time with Kaiba, as he seemed to be something like a blood magnet.  
Sad enough, it did make him feel at least uncomfortable, if not even scared a bit. He had catched a glimpse of how cold and scary Kaiba could be there in the dark forest, but after that it had seemed as if it hadn't been half as bad as he had perceived it. Now it turned out, Kaiba was, maybe not a coldblooded monster, but obviously a person able to kill. He had not even been in direct danger this time. He seemingly had tracked that guy and planned on how to do it, picked a night, murdered him and taken his coat (and the body) home rather soberly. Though it seemed there had been some fight at least.  
Was it Daimon? Wasn't he in jail? Or one of the guys that had been in the car when kidnapping him? Both, possibly? Since when had be been planning to do that? Was it just cold revenge or was there more to it that he didn't know? Why had he never said a word, how had he even been able to keep this a secret all this time?  
His thoughts were rushing through his head like a hurricane, crisscrossing until he was not sure if even the pure facts were real anymore. He gulped heavily and realized the one thing he felt like doing right now was leave the house of this crazy guy as quick as possible, only that he knew this crazy guy and he wasn't crazy at all most of the time and he also felt he would have to stay and make sure Kaiba was going to be ok, because he didn't really know if he would or not or what was even going on in this head right now.  
Just when he was trying to make a decision if to run or stay, Kaiba entered the kitchen.  
He was wearing a dressshirt and some slacks and he had washed the blood from his face, leaving his hairline a bit wet on his forehead.  
He didn't say anything, just stood there and looked at Jounouchi blankly, leaning to his side on the doorframe.  
"So. Are you in shock?"  
"How would I know?", he asked back without the slightest change in his face.  
"I don't know. Are you feeling cold?"  
"No."  
"Does your heart beat faster than usual?"  
"No."  
"Did you pee this morning? Or last night?"  
There was something happening in Kaiba's face now, confusion probably, but it was hard to tell. He thought a second than just said: "No."  
"Do you have to?"  
He seemed to consider for a second, then said: "No."  
"Ok...", Jounouchi eyed him suspiciously. "Can I come over and check something?", he asked carefully. If Kaiba had some sort of snapped maybe he would go crazy on anything that he didn't like, and he certainly didn't like to be groped.  
"Just go for it." He even pushed himself from the doorframe and strode over slowly, calmly, then stopped in front on Jounouchi, who hesitated, but then raised his hands and reached for Kaiba's left hand. Kaiba even raised it a little to meet his inquiry. When his fingers brushed Kaiba's, he nearly twiched. They were dead cold. Carefully, he brushed the fingers to the tips, which were the coldest, then back to the palm, not that cold anymore, to the wrist. He turned the hand and fumbled for the pulse, but didn't feel anything. He had never really gotten that one anyways. He raised the other hand to search for his own puls on his neck under his chin, and when he found it, he looked at Kaiba and quiely asked: "Will you raise your chin a bit?"  
Kaiba did without questioning, he dipped his chin up as high as he could without losing sight of Jounouchi, who reached out and put his fingers gently on his neck, trying not to make fore contact than necessary. The neck was kind of cold, too, and he finally found the rhythmic twiching under his thumb. He stood there, unmoving, comparing his own and Kaiba's heartbeat. Jounouchi's was much faster. He was fucking excited, though, so no wonder. Kaiba's was slow, though not as slow as it should be when perfectly relaxed, and very shallow. He waited another couple of seconds before taking the hand away and brushing it's back softly over Kaiba's cheek to the forehead. They were cold and slightly sticky. He wasn't sure it it was from washing his face or from sweat. Kaiba didn't once take his eyes off him, but didn't make a sound, either.  
When he laid his hands on the tails of Kaiba's shirt, Jounouchi asked again: "May I?", and when Kaiba said: "Go ahead", he pulled the shirt up to reveal clean, white skin, with the spot in question neatly taped.  
"Haven't you noticed last night?", he asked, frowning, looking down at it, considering to press his fingers into it to see if it hurt, but decided against it.  
Kaiba took a while to consider, but then said: "I noticed when it happened. But then I somehow forgot."  
Jounouchi didn't know what to do or say about this, so he merely brushed the shirt back down.  
"Ok. Here it is: You are probably in shock and you are injured. I think you should see a doctor."  
"I certainly won't."  
"Why not?"  
"What should I tell him?"  
"Don't care, they mustn't tell anyways."  
"This is not negociable."  
Jounouchi made a noise of slight frustration, then leaned back against the counter. He was rather sure Kaiba wouldn't run so he didn't make an effort to keep him from it, just stuffed his hands in the jeanspockets and tried to calm himself down.  
"So why didn't you clean up the bathroom?", he asked softly.  
"I did."  
"You didn't do such a good ob, then."  
"I didn't think you were there."  
"Yeah, but you noticed when you came to bed.  
"I", Kaiba broke off, frowning. He was twenty percent slower in everything he said or did, it was strang to see. Kaiba was alwas calm and accurate. But right now he was moving in slow motion, and his movements were nowhere near accurate and efficient.  
"I don't know", he finally admitted. "When I noticed I was already in bed and I was... just... so... relieved you were there. And I was so... exhausted."  
"Yeah. You clung to me."  
"I did no such thing."  
"I tell you you did."  
Silence.  
"So... So touching me didn't bother you last night?"  
"No. It... It really felt good. You were warm. I felt... like I could rest."  
"Ok, something is really off here. Do I repulse you again, now I mean?"  
"You never repulse me."  
"You know what I mean. Do you feel like there is not enough space beween us?"  
"No."  
"What about now?" He scooped closer, taking his hands off the pockets and placing them on Kaiba's chest, like he always did, first gently warning him, then letting them wander around his sides.  
"No."  
"Really not?" He cocked an eyebrow in utter disbelieve.  
Kaiba didn't even honour that question with a facial answer. There was a little break, both staring at each other, than Jounouchi raised on his tiptoes slowly and raised his arms in slow motion, then placed them over Kaiba's shoulders, gently guiding them to their destination around his neck, putting a little pressure on them until Kaiba yielded and bent down to him, allowing Jounouchi to pull their bodies close together and lay a hand spread between Kaiba's shoulder blades, the other on the back of his head, fingers combing threw the silky hair.  
Kaiba didn't do anything for a while, but finally raised his arms, too, and laid them around Jounouchi's middle. He had been able to do that for a while, but it was different now. He was not only appeasing Jounouchi by laying his hands on his back featherly, but he was actually pressing back, shoving his chin deep in the crook of Jounouchi's shoulder.  
"You're warm", he said.  
"Yeah. Toldya. You'r in shock. You should really see a doctor."  
"It's going to go away in a while."  
"Ok... Seto...?", Jounouchi said after a while. It felt strange to use his first name in a situation like this. He had used it before, but never really that considerately. Sometimes in bed. Or when he was overwhelmed by worry or fear or joy or if he just wanted to bully Kaiba by using his given name pronouncing it like a sugar coated caress. Kaiba didn't give him more than a soft questioning humming noise in response. Strangely, all his fear from before vanished when he squeezed the shuddering body one more time, then pulled back, attently checking Kaiba's face, which was still rather emotionless.  
"You should sit down while I change the sheets so you can go back to bed. You need to lay down, feet high and stuff", he announced.  
"I didn't lose a lot of blood", he said, it might have been stubborn, it might have been confused, but it sounded absolutely nothing else than a simple statement.  
"I know. It's just what you do with people in shock, ok? You make them warm and cosy and get some blood to their head. You're really cold, and you're even shivering a bit. I'm afraid you'll keel over."  
"I won't."  
"Whatever. Truth is, I want you to be a good boy and have a nap so I can deal with the mess that you've made."  
Kaiba stared at him, he opened his mouth, then closed it again. Jounouchi nodded to the table. And then, slowly, Kaiba got himself to move and sat down on the nearest chair.  
"I'll get you in a minute", he said, then left.

It had taken Kaiba about ten seconds to fall asleep when he had made him undress and lay down in the fresh bed, tucked him in thoroughly and put his feet up a bit higher. He thought he might have fainted, but didn't bother as he wouldn't have known another way as to wake him up again, which was to opposit of what he wanted right now. He made an effort not to give any noise when turning the key in the door from outside, then came back to the bathroom.  
"For christ's fucking sake", he took a heavy breath when opening the door for the second time today. Knowing most of this was a dead guy's blood made everything even creepier than it would have already been. He made sure to take enough time to just stand there and look at the massacre to avoid finding anything new later that would make him throw up again. Only then did he fully enter, turn around as calm as he could, looking everywhere, then got a cloth from under the sink and started on the shower, then worked his way through the floor, the washing machine, the toilet and at last the sink itself. When he was done, he took care to desinfect everything twice, wiping all the surfaces dry again afterwards, then he threw the cloth and the towel in the trashcan.  
He sighed when he looked back, then dicided he would have to take a shower elsewhere, as he probably wouldn't be able to use this bathroom for quite a while.

After the shower it was noon already and he thought he might better see what Mokuba was doing, because he used to sleep long, but would finally wake up and inquire about his brother for sure, and he still didn't know what to tell him.  
When he peeked into the room, Mokuba was still asleep. He sighed soundlessly and closed the door again, deciding this was his change to bring the stained sheets and the bathroom trash outside and throw it away for good. When he was done, he felt strangely like a heavy weight had been taken from him. There was nothing in the house now that would be an evidence for what had happened. He knew he had made himself a fucking criminal now. Much more of a criminal than the old breaking in cars, getting in street fights sort of criminality. It made him sick in a way, but he knew doing anything else than what he had done would have made him sicker in the last consequence.

It was nearly time for dinner when Kaiba came back from the dead. He still looked horrible. His eyesockets were deep and dark and his face had the colour of gorgonzola, a creamy white with a greenish or blueish shine. He just appeared at the doorframe of the living room, peeking inside and not saying a word, just looking down at Jounouchi and Mokuba playing a racing game on the sofa. When Mokuba saw him, he hit the pause button, which made Jounouchi look up and notice him, too, but Mokuba had already jumped up and hurried to the door, grabbing his brother around the waist. He had grown quite a lot in the last year. He already nearly reached Kaiba's shoulder.  
"You better? Jounouchi said you felt sick today", he stated, only then letting go of his brother to be able to search his face attentively.  
"I'm better", Kaiba just said, locking eyes with Jounouchi over the head of his brother while his hands came up to caress the boy's hair. "No need to worry."  
Jounouchi tilted his head a bit in question. Kaiba was wearing the same shirt and slacks as this morning, and his hair was rather untidy. When his hands brushed over Mokuba's cheek seemingly unthinking, the boy flinched. "God, your hands are cold!", he screeched, grabbing them in his little warm ones and holding them. Kaiba's gaze fell down to his brother. It was obvious that he still wasn't able to give much more than this face and the very same face with his eyebrows slightly lifted.  
"Why don't you take a bath?", Jounouchi suggested without getting up.  
"Yes. Maybe I should", Kaiba said. He didn't move.  
"Than what are you waiting for?", Jounouchi asked, frowning once more today.  
Kaiba looked at him as if he absolutely didn't understand the question.  
"You", he simply said as if that was the most evident thing on earth.  
"Uh... Ok?", Jounouchi said, surprised to say the least, taken aback to be more accurate.  
"Are you comming?", he simply said, then turned around and left without another word. He was really starting to creep Jounouchi out quite a lot.  
"Huh. Think I should go and make sure he's fine", Jounouchi said to Mokuba, who looked at him in an utterly confused, disbelieving way.  
"I'm sorry, will you finish the game alone?" Mokuba only nodded. Then Jounouchi ran off to catch Kaiba. He found him in the big bathroom on the seond floor, the one two doors to the right from Kaiba's bedroom with the little shower- and toilet (which was still bigger than his bathroom at home),  
"Are you actually planning to take a bath with me?", Jounouchi asked curiously while closing the door behind him. The water was running and Kaiba was half naked.  
"No", he said, turning shortly to look at him, then back to his clothes. "Yes", he corrected after a moment: "I don't know."  
Jounouchi just stood there, than he sighed and came over, took the clothes from Kaiba and groped his fingers, still cold, then his forehead, still cold and sweaty, then he waited until Kaiba was naked and had settled in the bathtub to pull over the laundry basket next to the tub and sit on it, leaning against the wall. He could look down on Kaiba now, who didn't even seem to care if he was there or not, sliding down into the water until chin deep, his knees breaking the surface leaning against the edge of the tub, then he let his head sink to the side closer to Jounouchi, too, and closed his eyes. And so he stayed.  
Jounouchi stretched a hand and laid it softly on his head, combing his fingers through his dry hair until down into the water, then started from the top again, repeating the very same stroke over and over again.  
"Don't fall asleep", he ordered after a while, but Kaiba made a soft humming noise, jerking his head slightly as if shaking his head no, than continued to ignore him.  
"Doesn't that cut burn in the water?", he asked quietly, just to see if Kaiba was even in a state to talk or had half passed out again.  
"It does."  
"Huh", Jounouchi said, then, after a break, finally inquired: "So, what happened?"  
"I would rather not tell you", he murmured to the water.  
"Stupid. I cleaned up the mess, If you wouldn't have wanted me to know you should have been more secretive in the first place."  
"Yes. I just won't."  
"For fuck's sake! If you don't tell me anything, you will have to live with me taking my imagination for the truth, and my imagination sais you have been looking for those two other guys in the car, and you found them, and you observed them, and you made a plan and finally you went and murdered them and you cut their bodys in little pieces and got totally soaked in their blood and then you came back here and smeared all this shit all over the place before getting rid of the rest on me. And actually, If this is it, I'm not sure if I can stay here with you after making sure you're not killing yourself by being imprudent.  
The hard words hung between them heavily, only reinforced by the reverberation of the tile walls and the water surface, the sound of Jounouchi's voice itself like flooding back and forth between the walls.  
Kaiba didn't seem to say anything, but after a while, without moving, he said: "This isn't how it was."  
"Then how was it? Fucking talk to me Kaiba, how shall I know otherwise?", Jounouchi insisted, his fingers combing erratically now, his fingernails softly brushing over the skin on Kaiba's scalp while pulling them from his forehead all the way to his back, only slighly varying to the sides at every new stroke.  
"It wasn't the two men, for once."  
Jounouchi's hand stopped short for a second. Then he reassumed his task, though slower, and using more of his palm now, softer, more gentle.  
"Who was it then?", he asked, merely a whisper.  
"It was the fourth."  
"What, but, I thought, you said", he stumbled, but Kaiba let his head tilt back and to the side a little bit, revealing some of his neck, and Jounouchi could see his face now. His eyes were closed, his by now wet hair clung to his head, only the very tips of them floating silkily in the water surface.  
"I said it was at least three. Well. It turned out there was a fourth."  
Jounouchi watched his face carefully, but he couldn't make out anything in his face.  
"Why did he have to die?", he asked softly.  
Kaiba stayed still, and when his head slid forth an inch, Jounouchi though he might have fallen asleep.


	17. About wishing to have not

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone still reading this?

Jounouchi felt absolutely horrified while searching through Kaiba's desk the next evening while Mokuba was doing his himework upstairs and with Kaiba having somewhat cought himself over night and really gone to work at the headquarter this morning.  
It was not really because he felt guilty, but because Kaiba had a sense for those things, and he would probably turn up just the second Jounouchi had his fingers deep in the cookie jar. With the cookie jar being his most private documents. And Jounouchi knew if Kaiba found out there would be a real problem. Not the kind of problem that was handled by no sex for one week or not even dinner for one week or even a horrible 'I am so disappointed how can I trust you again' talk, but more the kind of problem that was handled by Jounouchi leaving the house and not ever coming back and if he ever dared to adress Kaiba again in his life he would probably be killed and chainsawed and dumped in some forest.  
But Kaiba's whole habit of killing people and dumping them in forests had let to this whole thing in the first place, so Jounouchi didn't feel sorry. He felt strange, sure, when opening the first drawer in Kaiba's home office with the ring box and the photos of Mokuba and the calculator and his passport, but then closed this one quickly and tried all the other ones. There were contracts, batteries, USB-sticks (he might have a look at those if he didn't find anything else), even sketches for games or interfaces or products Kaiba was working on, or had been working on, pencils, paperclips... There was a small box at the very back of the second last drawer. He pulled it out and raised his brows, putting it on the desk gently before opening it. Only from the warm, musk-like smell of it he knew it had been a cigar box once, but the print on the wood had nearly completely vanished by now. When he opened the two little pins, a stack of photos looked at him. He gulped heavily. It was family photos. He had the strong urge to close the box, shove it back and run from this room, suddenly embaressed about his behaviour after all, but thought, hiding something potentially dangerous between some other photos no-one would touch was just such a Kaiba thing to do, so he took a breath and stuck a finger inside, lifting some of the photos and peeking between them. He could easily tell how old Kaiba was on each one by looking at his younger brother growing from a baby to a pre school kid, and simply adding five years.  
There was a picture of sweet little Kaiba holding his baby brother and looking as if nothing greater had ever happened to him in his whole life. Jounouchi couldn't help but stare at the little face with the flushed cheeks and the tidy hair and the little nose and the huge blue eyes staring in utter adoration down at the baby's eyes staring back at him. He looked as if he had never seen a baby in his entire life and it was the single most beautiful thing on earth. It just came to Jounouchi's mind that already at this right moment Kaiba had known Mokuba would become the single most important thing in his whole life. Strangely, he had always assumed the bond between the two Kaiba's had started to become so strong when the parents had died and they had been sent to the orphanage, but as he paged through the pictures it seemed more and more as if it had always been like this. Kaiba was close to his brother, hugging him, carrying him, at least having an arm around his shoulder in every single one of them. And the bigger the boy grew the more he could see the glistening in the younger boy's eyes when he looked up at his older brother. He could see just how much he trusted him, letting himself be swirled through the air or comforted when crying. There sure were parents on the pictures, a young, silky hazel haired woman with fine features and an attentive, cheeky, intelligent look about her eyes and a dark haired, fine featured man with glasses who had a lot of resemblance with Kaiba, but even more with Mokuba. They were always there, in the background, smiling. But it was always the brothers in the foreground. He asked himself if Kaiba had kept only the ones like that or if truely there hadn't been any others. There also were no photos at all of Kaiba before his brother had been born. There were, however, pictures from after their parents' death, at the very bottom of the box. He could pinpoint the exact moment without difficulty. Kaiba's face had changed completely. The former mostly grinning boy, not unlike Mokuba, didn't smile on any of those photos. He always stared at the camera with an intense, determined gaze. And he held Mokuba's hand on every single one of those pictures, until the very last one, showing them both dressed up like dressing dolls in little suits, Kaiba about ten or eleven, Mokuba maybe six, positioned as if for a portrait painting in a dark huge room full of heavy wooden furniture, with dark curtains in front of the windows and statues in the corners. They stoodclose to each other, Kaiba had an arm around his brother in a patronizing and sheltering but casual manner that was very much like him, even then, and stared at the camera with that intent expression, only that it had become even harder, his eyes more narrow with soft shadows under them, his brows lower, his cheeks hollower. When he looked at the way his hand was curling up around Mokuba's shoulder, he wondered it Kaiba was holding Mokuba or steadying himself on him.  
Then, suddenly he recognized the shape of the room, with the huge windows though mostly hidden. It was the big study downstairs. The one Kaiba newer used but had opened for his guests when celebrating his birthday over here. It looked completely different though.  
He must have renovated the house to a point beyond any recognition. He really had made an effort, that much was clear. He asked himself why they hadn't just moved if they disliked the house so much, but then thought, strange enough a fifteen year old was allowed to lead a company. They were surely not allowed to buy a house on their own.

He felt even more horrible, when the box disappeared back into the drawer, but he stealed himself and closed it to open the last one. There was another box in there, although this was was made out of cardboard and didn't exactly look like something beloved by the owner was kept in there. He took it out and pulled the cover from it.  
Realizing now that the box was exactly document sized, he shouldn't have been surprised to find neatly stacked paper printouts in it. There were a couple of stocks from Japanese companies he didn't know. There was a couple of certificates, contracts... Why on earth would Kaiba keep money and contracts in a cardboard box rather than filed up where they belonged or at least somewhere safe, in a deposit box at the bank or in a vault, he surely had one around here. He skipped through them. There was the contract between him and Pegasus regarding the usage of the holographic technology. There was a contract concerning some money someone had invested in Kaiba developping the Duel Disk system.  
There was a contract between Kaiba and Gozaburo, who seemingly had lended him a bunch of money under the premise he would make a much bigger bunch of it in a year.  
This didn't really make any sense. All of those had been ended already. One should probably keep them for a while, but there was no reason to do that in your home desk. They were not really important, they could be anywhere.  
Only when he saw the other box, a metal one with an actual code lock, it came to his mind that this was actually the drawer with the stuff Kaiba didn't want anyone to look at.  
When he took the second box out, a heavy but small metal one, he looked at the code. Four numbers. Well, he should be damned if...  
He tried 0 – 1 – 2 – 5. Nothing happened. He tried 1 – 0 – 2 – 5. Chances were Kaiba had actually gotten his own birthday right at least once. Nothing happened either. He swore. Than bit his lip. Than he tried 5 – 2 – 1 – 0. It clicked. Wow. Kaiba might be a genious, he thought, but he wasn't when it came to picking a code he could remember. Maybe Kaiba actually had a number deficiancy after all. He didn't seem to be able to remember phone numbers either.  
He shook his head, disbelieving, and opened the box gently. There was different stuff. Envelopes, letters, photos. Photos of them, he realized. Photos taken as if by a paparazzi. He scanned through it quickly, grabbing things randomly. It was like a surprise bag. A very bad one. There was a photo of Kaiba and Jounouchi and Osamu and Mokuba sitting at the kitchen table, eating, and from the perspective and quality of it, it seemed to have been taken from outside in the garten with a large tele objective. There was a photo of the BMW on the street, only presumably Kaiba driving it, hidden by his big pimp sunglasses. Jounouchi froze when he saw a photo of them fucking on the table in the study, Jounouchi on his back on the table, Kaiba bent over him, kissing him, taken through the window he assumed, and one showing a very dark room, but Jounouchi was very sure he could make out the blurry television showing 'the hobbit', which they had been watching just a week ago, and then his heart started racing when he saw a picture of himself in the late evening in front of his dad's place, just unlocking the door.  
He had a sudden burst of flashbacks, Kaiba driving him everywhere lately, which he had assumed to be this license thing, insisting on him calling a cab when he headed home late, also being rather edgy a lot and at the same time trying to have him at the mansion at night even though they hadn't had a lot of sex, for quite a while not at all.  
His fingers were trembling when he turned to the white sheets, small notes, some of them folded. "I will dump them where you dumped Gozaburo", said one, and another "You're so quiet when you come lately, aren't you feeling good?", those two written by hand with two different pens and handwritings, then another which was actually made of cut out newspaper letters, that said: "Your brother is a damn annoying snorer, no wonder he sleeps three rooms away from you." There was a huge smiley under this one that had a speech bubble painted to it that said 'zzzzz', and it had a cut out knife stuck through his eye.  
Jounouchi stared at it for a long time, disgusted and frightened, then something else cought his eye. It was on the very bottom, it was the only paper that was crinkled and something stuck out from between the folds. First he thought it was a painting brush tip. but then when he pulled it out, it turned out to be a strand of hazel hair taped losely to a paper, and when the unfolded the little note, there was a sketch of stick figures sleeping in a bed exactly like they did, Jounouchi's head to Kaiba's shoulder, upper arms around each other, legs intertwined, with heavy red blothes splattered all over the smaller figure. Taped to their heads were a brown and a blond strand of hair. On the top, the paper said: "The silence of the puppies."  
Jounouchi stared at it for very long, feeling, nearly seeing, how Kaiba had stood there exactly like he had right now, with this note in his hand looking at it for a long time, and how eventually his right hand holding the paper had balled to a fist, crumpling up the paper in the process.  
That was the moment somewhere in the distance he heard the front door open.


End file.
